Mischievous Spirit
by tomomi-chan
Summary: Ano...there's something VERY important please read my bio, onegai!
1. Chapter 01 Iniquity Lullaby

Seiko: Hi there! This is my first fic in Ffnet! So, if you feel like complaining or whatever it is, then don't hesitate to do so, okay? I'm willing to accept all those comments! (^^)  
  
Sanzo: ....I guarantee your fic sucks, Seiko.  
  
Seiko: ...Oh hohoho! Honto? Then we'll see who's going to be bullied in the fic, hohoho.  
  
Goku: ...Dare ka?  
  
Gojyo: ...Obviously, the blonde namaguza bouzu over there!  
  
Sanzo: ...OMAE...(- -""""")  
  
Seiko: Before I forget, Saiyuki doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Minekura-san! And thank you Ayie-chan, for encouraging me to write this fic!! Arigatou gozaimasu!! {bows}  
  
Hakkai: Hai, hai. Anyway, enjoy the fic! (^___^)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
mischievous spirit  
  
Chapter 1- iniquity LULLABY  
  
(flasback.)  
  
"...Koryuu? What are you doing here?" Komyou Sanzo looked at his one and only disciple sitting on the ground, with cuts all over his small figure. The Sanzo was sure that those naughty boys had bullied Koryuu again.  
  
The flaxen haired child stopped grunting and lifted his head facing right towards the elder latter. He stared his master for a while, and Komyou Sanzo curled his warmest smile ever, making the child felt calmed.  
  
But somehow, Koryuu had no idea why did his master always smiled like that, as if the world became the most peaceful place to live already...  
  
...Because he felt like living in hell.  
  
Koryuu didn't answer his master's question and he turned his gaze elsewhere. He ignored the Oshio-sama who abruptly sat together with him on the ground. Koryuu suddenly turned back to the braided latter and he showed his perplexed expression right on his face. His beautiful purple eyes met the Sanzo's and still, the man didn't throw his smile away. He kept on smiling and smiling without even a word came out from his lips.  
  
Koryuu sweat dropped. Sometimes, he felt like Oshio-sama became insane or something. Always smiling even though there's nothing to be smiled at. He sure was crazy towards this smiling thing...  
  
"...Nanda?" was the only word came out from Koryuu, making his Oshio-sama smiled even wider. Koryuu was damned annoyed and he pushed himself up, ignoring the pain caused by the cuts and bruises. All of a sudden, while he was about to leave, he felt something grabbed his wrist firmly, but it was warm and smooth that Koryuu was sure that was his mentor's touch...  
  
"Sit here. Let me treat them for you." The elder latter had spoken, with such comforting voice, making Koryuu sat back by force.  
  
The child murmured and grunted, and it sure made the Sanzo amused. He had never seen this kind of kid who always muttered about himself so much. Koryuu definitely was different from any other children he met during his travel everywhere to give sermons. The gakis would usually played with their friends and he could hardly heard them mumbling like the blonde.  
  
"...I'm not a kid anymore. I can treat them by myself."  
  
Komyo Sanzo ignored the kid's proud talk and took out the medicine box he brought along before and started treating Koryuu's wounds. The wakamono* sure felt weird, since it was the first time his Oshio-sama treat his cuts. Usually, Koryuu bandaged himself up, and he did it more like he was going to change himself to a mummy from any ancient times.  
  
"...You see, Koryuu... Sometimes I'm impressed by the way you handle those kids out there. But don't you ever feel like fighting them back?"  
  
Koryuu halted. He asked himself why he didn't fight back. Was it because....  
  
"....I'm weak. Besides, you told me not to do so." The blonde answered with such a deep voice. His tone was flat, no emotion was included. His sight fell on the ground, while his hand played with the sand all around over and over again. He sure was bored by the same topic everyday.... about why he hadn't fight those kids back.  
  
"....So, you still don't understand it."  
  
"....What do you mean?"  
  
Komyo Sanzo patted the boy's back and stood up with real manners. He smiled again and Koryuu stood up after a while later, tailing the Sanzo from behind. The Sanzo sat on a big rock, while Koryuu stood in front, still waiting for further answers.  
  
All of a sudden, they heard chirping sounds from above and they both looked up. A group of birds were flying together heading to their nests. The scenery was almost wonderful, making Koryuu stunned for a while. He didn't know why, but watching the typical scenery with his 'father' beside, made the view that evening became the most interesting scenery to be looked at.  
  
"...Like those birds, Koryuu. They fly together in a group, and have you ever wonder why they did that?"  
  
Oshio-sama's question perplexed Koryuu that the kid threw his gaze at the man who was still looking at the sky with such gleeful expressions. The Sanzo realised his disciple was hoping for an answer, obviously. Koryuu would never knew anything if the braided young man didn't explain why various things had happened.  
  
"...If they fly on their own, they will surely be attacked by any other bigger birds. Besides, by flying together, they learn more and they surely don't feel lonely."  
  
Komyou Sanzo faced the boy, who was starting to understand what the monk had just told him about those birds. He then stood up and lifted his hand, right towards the kid's head.  
  
Koryuu blushed. He felt embarrassed when someone took care of him that much, furthermore, by his Oshio-sama's warm touch. He widened his amethyst eyes and studied the figure right there, with a typical calming smile on the elder's face.  
  
"...Shinpai shinaide, Koryuu. Once you have your own friends, then you'll gain the spirit to live... Or should I say, fight back?"  
  
Komyo Sanzo removed his hand and folded his arms tightly, still facing the flaxen-haired.  
  
"...But I don't have any friends out there. The kids kept teasing me around..."  
  
"...Be strong, Koryuu. Life's not that complicated. There'll be someone who's willing to be your friend. I believe, there are. You have to fight back those down feelings here, in your heart. Fight back those worrying matters that bother you a lot here, in your brains. And then, fight back anything that against you, as long as you live, you have your own life, and as long as you own it, then you have the abilities to survive..."  
  
"...By fighting back your own feelings."  
  
Koryuu looked up again, showing his face to the sky high above his head. While then, Komyou Sanzo continued his speech...  
  
"...But Koryuu, once you have your own friends, you will at least feel that you're going to lose them. At least once, in your entire life."  
  
Koryuu was stunned by the word 'lose'. 'What does Oshio-sama mean by that? I just can't understand.....' He however showed his puzzled expression while looking straight towards the elder's face.  
  
"...And when you felt that, then there's only one thing you should do."  
  
Komyou Sanzo turned his sight to the passing birds again before he gazed back to Koryuu.  
  
"...Believe in your friends, more than you believe in yourself...and be strong, Koryuu."  
  
The sun set right behind Komyo Sanzo, and that was the most wonderful, yet beautiful scene Koryuu had ever seen in his entire life. He saw the monk shone brightly...  
  
...And Koryuu smiled.  
  
'...Oshio-sama...'  
  
(end of flashback) ******************************************************  
  
...Be strong, Kooryu....  
  
...Be strong.  
  
"...Ne, Sanzo? Sanzo? Daijoubu ka?"  
  
Sanzo shuddered his eyes wide open, and at the same time, he saw a pair of golden orbs right when he opened his own eyes. His veins throbbed out crazily around his temple, making the saru even more worried. Still, he didn't move away from getting too near to Sanzo.  
  
"...Sanzo?" he asked with such a baka tone, then...  
  
'THWACKKKK!!!!'  
  
"...Ittai yo!! Nani sundai yo, Sanzoo???" Goku held his head right on the bump he had just got free of charge from Sanzo.  
  
The monk shoved back his almighty harisen inside his huge sleeve and got out of the jeep at once after Hakkai gave way to the bouzu. He stood there behind the emerald-eyed youkai who was waiting for Hakuryu to transform back to its original form, while murmuring about Goku being a hentai caused by the kappa.  
  
Well, as usual, the kappa always had a sharp hearing skill that he suddenly appeared next to Sanzo, making the blonde more than disturbed.  
  
"...What did you say??? Baka namaguza bouzu??"  
  
"...I said, Goku got infected by your hentai acts, that he started doing it already."  
  
"Oi, that's my problem about girls having a crush on me! That's not my fault...."  
  
Sanzo stopped and turned to Gojyo with his hand grabbed the harisen again, and...  
  
"...Itte... Why did you do that??? Baka bouzu???"  
  
Hearing the word 'baka bouzu', Sanzo's veins popped out again, with his eyebrows almost met each other, making the kappa lost his words, and the blonde latter successfully did numerous 'thwacks' on the kappa's head. Moreover, that time Sanzo was sure he didn't miss a spot, not even a single space on the gokiburi's head.  
  
"...That's for being horny to those baka onna out there, erotic kappa!!!" Sanzo grunted and walked inside the inn followed by Goku behind. They left the kappa rubbing his head while squatting and moaning helplessly on the ground.  
  
"...Anou bouzu!! I'll surely kill him tonight!!"  
  
" Maa, maa, Gojyo... If you kill him then we wouldn't have enough money to feed ourselves, ne?"  
  
Hakkai rubbed Hakuryu's head who was perching on its master's shoulder. He 'coo'ed gleefully and rubbed his small head to Hakkai's face, making Hakkai giggled by his cute acts. Gojyo stood up, with hands at the back of his hentai brain.  
  
"...Makes point. Fine, I'll kill him when we finished our journey."  
  
Hakkai chuckled nervously as he walked inside the inn alone, since Gojyo found a nice looking onna outside while he was just about to go inside the inn. No way this hentai redheaded man really was going to kill the bouzu, although they fought almost every minute!  
  
"Yare yare desu ne... I hope Sanzo won't be mad again if he sees Gojyo right now..."  
  
Gojyo was a caring person, despite of his looks, apparently. And he knew how Gojyo cared about that monk so much since they became best sorts of friends about three years ago. But Sanzo would rather shoot himself dead than to admit the kappa was his friend, instead of servant, like what Sanzo always described the other two along with Gojyo.  
  
Sanzo inside was standing right in front of a counter, with a small bell placed on it. But somehow, it looked old and Sanzo could tell that inn was old itself by judging the amount of spider webs all over the counter.  
  
But he had no other choice than to rent a room, at least. They hadn't sleep on bed for three days already. Goku saw the small bell and pressed it continuously, making the bell chimed loudly as the sound echoed in Sanzo's ears. Simultaneously, making the bouzu's eyebrows twitched madly and his tooth clinched. His hands itched to shove his harisen out, but then he left the saru, grunting.  
  
Realising that no one came out, the saru gave up on the bell and rushed to Sanzo who had already went to settle himself on a chair nearby, just to get away from the baka saru. He lacked his energy to hit Goku's head or lift his shoreiju anymore, though. Furthermore, the ikkou had such a great fight with the youkais before they reached the village.  
  
Hakkai walked to the kitchen, wondering if anyone was there.  
  
"I'll go and check. Maybe the cook's here..."  
  
Right after Hakkai mentioned about the word 'cook', the saru got activated and his sleepy eyes went wide-opened.  
  
"Uuuu...Hara hetta!! Where are the foods we ordered? Arhh....."  
  
".....Hakkai....." Sanzo's veins popped out again, followed by the emerald- eyed youkai's giggle from the kitchen hall.  
  
"...Sumimasen! I didn't mean to say that word..."  
  
Goku was moaning irritatingly, and his hands kept tugging at Sanzo's sleeves continuously, making the bouzu damned mad since he was a sensitive man with a sign 'sawaru na' written right on his beautiful face. As far as the monk knew, the inn didn't mention about serving any foods, but the ikkou were there to rent a place to sleep! And they didn't even order anything from anyone!  
  
Sanzo was about to take out his shoreiju and aim it to the baka saru when all of a sudden...  
  
....They heard it.  
  
It was a woman's voice...  
  
... And it was a soothing voice singing a sweet, sweet lullaby. In lilting tones, the warm, yet resonant voice filled the entire inn, shading everything with a glow of love. Apparently, it definitely was motherly love, spread all over the place.  
  
Then, it vanished. As quick as it had come.  
  
For a moment, everyone was silent and stunned. They wondered who could sang that nice lullaby, even those three young men felt like they were floating freely in the air when they heard the calmed song just then. Well, obviously Sanzo was excluded from having any feelings at all. (-___-())  
  
Not long after that, they heard it again. Sanzo was damned annoyed about the noise that he wished he could just shot the woman to death. However, the other three latter felt a strange cold feeling running through their veins, making them shivered slightly.  
  
Harsh, bitter wails suddenly could be heard from the second floor of the inn. The same woman's voice was crying, weeping so hard that the ikkou started to feel eerie and flabbergasted. Then, the lullaby was heard again but this time, it sounded dimly and went away slowly, followed by sobbing sounds between each verse of the lullaby. The voice started to sound peculiar as the ikkou heard the woman screamed in pain.  
  
The ikkou were utterly shocked. They turned their sights towards the direction where the voice came from. Goku stopped his moans, Gojyo stopped his flirting with the girl outside, while those other two looked at each other with wonder. All of them felt somehow worried about the woman who had just sang the fainting lullaby.  
  
Goku stood up abruptly, and the other latter turned their gaze towards Goku, who suddenly ran upstairs, followed by Hakkai behind. He ignored those elders behind and darted upstairs swiftly.  
  
"...Goku?? Where are you going?" Hakkai asked fretfully, while trying to catch up with Goku. Hakuryu was left with the other two latter, and Hakkai himself hoped that his wild thoughts inside his mind about the voice were inaccurate. 'Is someone in danger? Or maybe youkais tricked us again like before?'  
  
"...I smell blood, Hakkai! Hayaku!!"  
  
"Matte kudasai, Goku!"  
  
About a while later, Hakkai reached at the second floor and he saw nothing but an empty hallway with several ordinary beech doors at each side. Hakkai was perplexed. He too, admitted that he did smell blood came from upstairs, but as soon as he reached there after Goku...  
  
...The smell disappeared.  
  
"...That's weird. I did smell it a while ago... Goku?"  
  
Hakkai's emerald-eyes went straight to Goku, who was dumbfounded and Goku's face turned pale in the moonlight. It seemed like he was shocked of something that Goku's eyes widened in fear and he was staring with such shocked expression at the end of the corridor. Hakkai looked again and searched for anything at the hallway, but nothing. Not even a person or a youkai was situated there. 'But why does Goku ...'  
  
Hakkai started to get worried. He touched Goku's shoulder slowly; making the latter turned his golden orbs to the elder youkai, without even a blink. His eyes went on like that for a moment, and it sure made Hakkai terrified. He yanked his hand from Goku and suddenly....  
  
"....Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Ahhrrggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!"  
  
Hakkai was petrified. He then held Goku's shoulders and shook him anxiously.  
  
"Goku! Hold yourself!! What happened?? Goku??"  
  
Goku just kept screaming loudly, continuously and his loud screams sent Sanzo and Gojyo climbed the stairs, shocked by the deafening yell...  
  
...And they knew that was Goku's voice.  
  
Hakkai on the other side tried to calm Goku down, but the kid kept screaming, kneeling on the floor while holding his head, as if it was going to be separated from his body by that time. He glared at Hakkai who was coaxing him to cool down, while he kept on his screaming and yelling as if Hakkai was the one who's going to harm him. He smacked away Hakkai's touch, and stepped backwards, right heading to a wide opened window.  
  
"...Goku!!!! It's me, Hakkai! Stop it, Goku!"  
  
Hakkai stepped forward to reach the kid but then he realised, the more he got nearer to Goku, the more Goku would step backwards, and it might cause him to fall down through the window!  
  
Hakkai stopped his movement, setting his emerald eyes on Goku, who was glaring at him with his frightened wide-opened orbs, and all Hakkai was able to do was to keep on calling his name to make him 'awake' ...  
  
...Or else.  
  
"Goku!!! Come here! What happened to you??" Hakkai screamed on the top of his voice, and right after he did that, Gojyo and Sanzo reached upstairs, and they were totally astonished.  
  
"...What happened, Hakkai??" Gojyo asked nervously, and he was worried more than anyone else. He sure was anxious when he saw Goku's eyes went on like that, without even a blink, and he looked so much as if he was being scared or haunted by something...  
  
"...I've no idea! He's just... just all of a sudden, he screamed and evaded me.I don't know why!" Hakkai gazed at the monk beside him, who also, was damned worried about that saru. Hakkai pleaded for any conclusions they could attempt to do, by staring at Sanzo with his emerald orbs, which abruptly became watery.  
  
Sanzo turned away from Hakkai, and looked around the hallway, the whole place, and the corners. He examined the entire place, and then, he stared at Goku who that time was hugging his knees, shivering in fear, while murmuring something...  
  
...Suspicious.  
  
Sanzo was perplexed. He hadn't felt any youkais there, and then he took the chance to reach the kid, and he really hoped that this saru was fine, when actually he wasn't. Sanzo knelt before the shivering child, calling out his name again and again... but no answer. Goku was burying his face in his knees, while his shoulders went up and down continuously and Sanzo could tell that saru was trying to gasp more air into his lungs.  
  
Sanzo somehow felt pity for Goku that he lifted his hand and was about to caress the kid's head when suddenly...  
  
...He saw something...  
  
...Something that horrified Sanzo most...  
  
".Gokuu???"  
  
The kid jerked his head up abruptly, and Sanzo jumped back in fear and shock. He saw two flashing red eyes stared at him with a devilish smirk right on his face, showing his sharp tooth. The ikkou were damned petrified that the kid they knew so well became this... this....  
  
'Goku will never do this.... Never! This is not him!'  
  
The itan looked so much like Seiten Taisei, when Goku's diadem went off his head. It's just that the eyes...  
  
...Looked so much like real demon.  
  
"....Goku???" Sanzo suddenly called out the kid's name.  
  
...no answer.  
  
Sanzo was still there, facing the saru with eyes wide-opened. He surely was shocked by the way the new 'Goku' acted. He knew the typical Goku wouldn't do that, furthermore, towards him. He looked at the gaki's face and checked whether the diadem was properly placed or not...  
  
....The diadem's still there.  
  
The kid suddenly pushed the wooden floor hard and grabbed the wall behind to balance himself to stand up. But his smirk didn't fade away, and his crimson orbs still glared at Sanzo, and then...  
  
Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo heard it.  
  
"...Genjo Sanzo....." The voice was shaky, and horrendous, making those three elders shocked to death!  
  
"...Mazaka...that's not Goku's voice..." Hakkai cursed slightly in his heart, down deep in his feelings. He surely knew that Goku was...  
  
...Possessed!  
  
The elders recognized the voice completely. It was the previous woman's voice! They knew it so well, since the way she sang while crying sounded exactly the same like the new 'Goku's' voice.  
  
The other 'Goku' walked dimly towards Sanzo, who didn't even move a muscle. Sanzo glared at the latter in front of him with such guilty feelings. He wished someone just shot him to death, than to see the only thing he should protect in this mean world became like this!  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo were both dumbfounded but they kept yelling Sanzo's name, telling him to get away from that 'someone' who was trying to attack him any minute now. But unpredictably the monk ignored his two companions and kept on staring at the kid latter, while thinking hard on how to purify 'Goku' and bring him back to reality.  
  
Sanzo couldn't use his Evil Sutra or the shoreiju since Goku was originally a youkai, a heretic. If he were to use the sutra, then Goku would die... The same goes to the anti-descending gun.  
  
The 'Goku' got nearer and nearer to Sanzo, and abruptly without any warning, he lifted his hand and...  
  
"...Sanzo! Watch out!" Hakkai screamed but it was too late.  
  
The itan was floating in the air about an inch from the floor, and he was heading directly towards the monk who hadn't enough space to move and evade, grabbing Sanzo's throat tight.  
  
...TOO tight.  
  
"...Kkkkk...Kono...baka.....saru.....haana...se....."  
  
Sanzo fell on the floor and knocked his head on one of the doorknobs. He tried to ignore the pain and held Goku's hands, which were both grabbing, strangling Sanzo's neck firmly. Sanzo was trying hard to gasp in some air to breathe, but still, he tried hard enough to prevent his sutra from being stimulated.  
  
The other two moved forward with their own weapons, Gojyo with his shakujo and Hakkai had already formed a 'ki' ball right in his palm. But frankly, they were actually didn't have any other choice than to hurt their best friend, but neither, they didn't want to lose the monk instead.  
  
"...Gomen nasai, Goku!!!!!" Hakkai let out his 'ki' ball and it almost hit Goku's frail body, when then, the 'Goku' raised his hand and unexpectedly...  
  
...The 'ki' ball reflected back and it was heading straight towards Hakkai!  
  
It was too late for Hakkai to form an energy barrier, and even Gojyo wasn't being able to protect his best friend. They both hoped for a miracle to happen...  
  
".....DAME!!! Bend down!"  
  
Those two youkais didn't really care whose voice was it, but they hastily bent down as being told and all of a sudden, a thick white smoke appeared all around them. The smoke-barrier somehow absorbed the 'ki' ball and it disappeared just like that.  
  
"...Korewa...?" Hakkai opened his eyes and all he saw was white solid smoke gathered around him and Gojyo, as if it was protecting them from any attacks. Then, Hakkai desperately turned his sight towards a strange black figure right in front of them both, and the figure was standing still, with a sword formed neatly in its firm grab. Neither Hakkai nor Gojyo knew who it was. After all, it saved them from being hit by Hakkai's own 'ki'.  
  
Right after a while later, the smoke vanished gradually and both Gojyo and Hakkai saw the true face of their savior...  
  
"...Anata wa dare desu ka?" Hakkai stood up followed by Gojyo beside. Gojyo was speechless, and obviously, Hakkai would be the one who thanked to anyone who helped them.  
  
The figure somehow showed its own self. A long silver haired figure, with a sparkling sword aimed towards the 'Goku' and it was...  
  
'...a girl???'  
  
to be continued... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seiko: ...Finished chapter 1!!! So, how was it? I guess Sanzo's right about my fic really sucks! Uuu.... (T-T)  
  
Sanzo: ...I've told you. Still, you didn't want to listen. I won't be responsible if the readers hate your fic, baka narrator!  
  
Hakkai: ...Ma, maa...Yameru kudasai ne, anou anata tachi... (^___^;;;)  
  
Goku: ...But how come I turned to be a bad character, ne??  
  
Seiko: Just for a while, Goku! Besides, you're the main character, forgot it already? (^^)  
  
Gojyo: But you said you want to bully Sanzo instead of us??  
  
Seiko: {smiles devilishly} ...Obviously, I will. Just wait.... Hohoho!  
  
Sanzo: ...Kkk.....  
  
Seiko: Anyway, sorry if I made lots of grammatical mistakes!! I'm sorry!!! Honto ni, gomen nasai! Do correct my English, okay? Onegai...  
  
Hakkai: Hai, hai. And I promise that I'll help her to make better fic for Chapter 2 ! Also, please review and help us make this story even better! Anything to say, minna? (^___^)  
  
Sanzo: ...I hate that onna.  
  
Gojyo: ...I'm sulking here!  
  
Goku: ...I don't want to be a bad person!  
  
Seiko & Hakkai: Huh... Sumimasen deshita!  
  
*wakamono - youngster  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Chapter 02 Possession

Seiko: ...Hi there again! I've completed the first chap, and now I'm going to write the second one! Uh, and it's my first attempt to write fighting scenes too! Do correct me if I made any mistakes in this chap. Gomen, if the previous chap bored you to death! But I promise, I'll make this story better, okay?  
  
Hakkai: Yeah, that's the spirit! By the way, Sanzo-tachi wa doko desu ka?  
  
Seiko: ...He was still sulking with Gojyo and Goku, repeating 'baka yarou onna' whenever I went to his room before... Not to mention his harisen went flying every time I turned the doorknob...(^___^;;;)  
  
Hakkai: {chuckles nervously} ...Anyway, do leave some comments! And Seiko doesn't own Saiyuki, it belongs rightfully to Minekura-san! So, please don't sue her...  
  
Seiko: Uuuuuuuu.....I really want to own Saiyuki! {rolling all over the floor} Arhh!!!! I WANT IT!!!!!! .....OWW!!!! Itta..... Why did you do that, baka bouzu????  
  
Sanzo: Urusai!!! Baka yarou onna narrator!!  
  
Hakkai: Yare yare desu ne... (^___^;;;)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT  
  
Chapter 2 - POSSESSION  
  
"...a girl???"  
  
Hakkai blinked his eyes several times, not believing what he had just seen. The same goes to the red headed hanyou, since they had never expected a girl to save them this time. They both were stunned and didn't move a muscle, and their eyes went on studying the female latter standing in front of them.  
  
The girl realised that, and she spun around, making her silky grey hair swiftly swayed around, revealing her pretty face. She somehow looked puzzled at the way those two men who were both older than her by any chance, stared at her as if they hadn't saw any girls around her age before.  
  
Feeling a bit annoyed and disgusted by the stare, her head was full with numerous wild popping veins, throbbing out like crazy.  
  
"...What are you looking at?? I'm not going to fight him alone, am I?"  
  
Both Hakkai and Gojyo were struck back to reality once the voice went through their ears. Hakkai was the one who stood up first and bowed to the young lady.  
  
"Sumimasen, ojou-san. We didn't mean to..." Hakkai couldn't finish his talk, when all of a sudden, the girl jumped back, vanishing her sword somewhere and formed another white smoke layer around her and she was actually protecting the elders altogether with herself from a black 'ki' ball heading towards them three.  
  
...And it was 'Goku's' 'ki' ball.  
  
"...Stop apologizing just yet, onii-san. We're in trouble here." The girl suddenly voiced out and she was obviously talking to Hakkai.  
  
"...Hai, Sumimasen." Hakkai bowed again.  
  
The girl sweat dropped. 'I thought I've just said stop apologising, but then he's still doing that?'  
  
It seemed like the 'Goku' became even wilder than before, when unexpectedly he turned back to Sanzo and swung his leg and it hit Sanzo hard on his face, making the blonde hurled away heading to another corner of the corridor. He knocked himself up against the wall, and sudden aches hit his entire body, leaving the monk hissed in pain.  
  
"...Sanzo!!" Gojyo and Hakkai yelled almost at the same time, worried. They were about to step forward and help Sanzo, but were stopped by the girl in front.  
  
"Are you going to kill yourself? Stay here and fight!" the girl somewhat scolded those two, and it surely made them shocked. Gojyo and Hakkai bowed again at the same time, making the grey-haired stumbled head over heels and sweat dropped more than ever.  
  
"Anou na......yameru kudasai!" she straightened her back and appeared her sword once more, and aimed it to 'Goku'. She stared at the itan with such loathing look, that even those two other shounens couldn't afford to look at her straight in the eyes.  
  
'...Should I use my sword to defeat this boy? He's one of these men's friend...'  
  
But then, 'Goku' dashed in such high speed towards them three, ignoring Sanzo who was coughing repeatedly, while spitting his blood out. With a deafening scream, the itan jumped and he was about to pounce over the girl, when all of a sudden...  
  
"...Stop it, Goku!!!!"  
  
A straight light led a greenish 'ki' ball headed right for Goku, and the itan couldn't evade the sudden attack that he lost his balance and got hit by the 'ki'.  
  
The 'Goku' smashed himself hard on the wooden floor, making his head felt dizzy but then, he forced himself to stand back on his feet. He pushed the floor quite hard, but he looked like he almost faint by any time now. His body shivered again and he hastily hugged himself, clasping his clothes tight as if a sudden pain struck him all over the body.  
  
...He screamed again, so loud that the whole town could hear his voice clearly.  
  
"...Goku!!!!" Gojyo screamed his heart out, but still no use. The itan kept on struggling with himself and then he halted. Even Sanzo widened his amethyst eyes when he saw the kid acted like that.  
  
"What on earth is happening to him??" Hakkai stood in his fighting posture, joined by Gojyo along by his right side, apparently heading the question to the silver-haired girl.  
  
"...Like what you've already knew, he's been possessed."  
  
"...But if so, how come I'm not sensing any yuki form nearby?"  
  
The girl stared at the emerald-eyed latter without moving her sword elsewhere.  
  
".Ghosts aren't supposed to be youkais, mind you. Once they took over someone's body, the victim would surely be theirs... entirely, body and mind....."  
  
Suddenly, her voice sounded sympathized, and she turned away from Hakkai's face.  
  
"...Even sometimes, the souls were taken by the ghosts. Eternally theirs."  
  
The last statement certainly made Hakkai and Gojyo stunned. They had never thought that saru would be possessed like this... He's still a child, an innocent, naïve child that shouldn't be tormented like what they saw in front of their eyes.  
  
...They felt pity, somehow. After a nod, Hakkai paid his concentrations towards the itan again, who was halted abruptly from yelling like crazy. If the girl weren't around, he would have hugged Goku tight, telling him to calm down. He loved Goku like his own younger brother, since the last three years when they first met. But since the girl prevented him to do so, in case if the poltergeist went out of Goku and possessed him instead, Hakkai couldn't obey his own will.  
  
'Goku' sat up on the floor and his face went directly towards Sanzo at the back. With a devilish grin on his face, the itan lifted his head abruptly making Sanzo shoved for his shoreiju. Well, the gun didn't scare 'Goku', though. Instead, the figure behind the moon light chuckled. He stood up and moved forward slowly, his head hung loosely to the right and it surely made Sanzo felt petrified.  
  
Sanzo knew what would happen if he didn't do anything about the saru, that he forced himself to stand up on his feet and he aimed the shoreiju towards Goku who was approaching him nearer step after step.  
  
Sanzo pulled the trigger twice, and two bullets passed the itan by inches, making him a bit shocked. But still, his grin didn't fade away and he called Sanzo's name with a trembling sound...  
  
"...Genjo Sanzo..." the kid looked straight into the amethyst eyes of the monk and suddenly, Sanzo felt numb and...  
  
...He couldn't move a muscle! He was paralysed for sure!  
  
'...Kuso...!!' Sanzo cursed himself for being so stupid and stared back the gaki before. He had already knew those creatures other than humans and ordinary youkais could make someone paralysed if you stared back at that other's eyes for a while.  
  
'Goku' was about to step forward and he had already formed a big black 'ki' ball in his palms, when then he felt something wrapped his leg firmly. He turned back, and he saw the red-haired man did it with his shakujou.  
  
"Goku!! What the hell are you doing??"  
  
The kid smirked again, then he abruptly turned backwards and blasted his 'ki' ball right towards the three latter instead of Sanzo. Thankfully, they had enough time to dodge the attack and what was left due to the 'ki' ball was a big hole right on the floor.  
  
The girl turned to the elders, and she herself stood up with her blue sword in her palms, still aiming at the 'Goku'. She was still hesitating whether to use it on the itan or not.  
  
"Daijoubu ka, minna-san?"  
  
"...Daijoubu desu. What about you?" Hakkai patted his clothes while smiling at the girl.  
  
The girl was actually felt rather guilty since the moment she met those men there, since she knew that if she hurt the possessed victim with her sword, it would be the same as hurting the innocent soul trapped in that body...  
  
...She didn't want to hurt Goku's soul.  
  
"...I'm fine. I guess we need to do something before he hurt the monk over there. Any plans?"  
  
...Silent fell flat.  
  
'Huhhh...they're hopeless!' the girl gave out a loud sigh, and she turned back to 'Goku' who was staring at Sanzo once again, and he didn't make any move yet, not even an attempt to make the monk injured. Sanzo was puzzled for sure, but yet he couldn't move himself, not even a muscle. If he were to be able to move around, then he would smack the itan's head out cold.  
  
But then, the girl recalled something...  
  
"...Did he just say... Genjo Sanzo??" she turned, facing the two shounens behind. She looked perplexed that made the elders wondered what was she confused about.  
  
"Hai, that's the monk's name." Hakkai politely answered the girl's question.  
  
"That's why!!!" the girl said that loud enough, that Sanzo turned his gaze towards the female latter.  
  
"...Ehhh???" Hakkai and Gojyo reacted almost together.  
  
".Maybe, the ghost inside that boy believes in the rumor, which is when they eat a Sanzo's flesh, then they'll live forever! Hurry up, or the boy will..." she stopped.  
  
"...Goku... will eat Sanzo??" Gojyo almost fell on his knees hearing the girl's explanation. Yes, he did know about the rumor, but he had never expected ghosts would use innocent bodies, just to eat the flesh of Sanzos!! The same goes with Hakkai who became speechless suddenly.  
  
"...OIII!!!!! Stop daydreaming, and do something about this damn baka saru!!!!" Sanzo's harsh voice suddenly struck those three back to the reality. The girl somehow sweat dropped and looked astonishingly to Sanzo, and her act made the other two sweat dropped along. They knew what was she thinking about the bouzu, well.  
  
"...But I haven't heard that a monk can curse like that..."  
  
"...Anou, for your information, that's our typical Sanzo." Hakkai lifted up his index finger, chuckling nervously. While Gojyo, stumbled head over heels hearing Hakkai's answer.  
  
"...Suuuureeeee.... He's the typical Sanzo who knows how to curse, he smokes, drinks and all the bad things bad boys would do. Except for one thing." Gojyo smirked his hentai smile.  
  
"...What?"  
  
"...He haven't take any girls to sleep together!"  
  
" OI !!!!!!! Kono yarou hentai erotic kappa!!! You'll die after this!!! Kono @#$%&$@!!!!"  
  
Hakkai and the girl sweat dropped as they heard Sanzo cursed like that, and they looked at each other while chuckling nervously.  
  
"...So, he's one of a kind, ne, onii-san? I guess I'm lucky to find a rare type of monk who's as stingy as this one..."  
  
Sanzo sent a death-promising glare towards the girl, and she stopped talking, and looked elsewhere but Sanzo's burning eyeballs. If only there's a firehouse nearby, the girl would have called for help and asked the firemen to put off the monk's burning orbs.  
  
'But what if his eyes became ashes afterwards? Hm...' now the girl had gone to far beyond her imaginations. Question marks popped out of her head simultaneously making Hakkai quite enjoying himself to chuckle anxiously as much as he wanted.  
  
Then, not long after that, 'Goku' floated in the air and moved towards frozen Sanzo again, while lifting his hands up, and he did that as if he was going to strangle or maybe cut Sanzo into pieces! His face showed no expression, except a wide annoying smirk that disturbed Sanzo most.  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo were aware of that, and they ran to Goku, unprotected.  
  
"...Goku! Stop!!"  
  
The itan spun around swiftly and glared at those men when unexpectedly, Hakkai and Gojyo were sent backwards after some kind of supernatural blows hit them, by just a glare. They knocked themselves on the wall hard, and Hakkai fell aimlessly on Gojyo, making the kappa murmured in pain. They felt like their ribs had broken already since the blow was extremely hard.  
  
"...Onii-san!!!" the girl yelled fretfully seeing those men got hit like that. 'I'm not going to let that happen again.like what happened to Izumi.....NEVER!!!'  
  
Hakkai's head was bleeding badly due to his encounter with a stone lantern on the wall while he was flown back and hit the wall hard. He was about to move from Gojyo when then, he fainted.  
  
"Hakkai! Oi, Hakkai! Are you okay? Hakkai!!" Gojyo shook his friend's shoulder slowly, trying to wake him up. But obviously, it failed.  
  
Not satisfied with that, 'Goku' abruptly loomed right in front of the elders and it surely made Gojyo and the girl shocked. Not to mention Sanzo who was trying hard to make his body normal again after being paralysed. Apparently, he felt number than before that he stopped forcing himself. Sudden pain attacked his muscles each time he tried to move them. He grunted of his weakness.  
  
'Goku' was about to hurt the men once more when then, the girl stepped in front of him and punched Goku across his face with all her might, making the latter almost fell.  
  
'Goku' lowered his head and smirked devilishly, while then, he lifted his hand and formed another black 'ki' ball, right heading towards the girl. She failed to evade the rapid attack and she was thrown backwards, near Hakkai and Gojyo.  
  
She hit her head on the wall, but luckily she could manage the pain and she could still remained conscious. Usually, when someone knocked his head hard, the system in his body would be dented due to the brain's inabilities to function well, at the same time making that person faint, like what happened to Hakkai just then. But somehow, this girl was a strong believer in inner strength that she gathered all her courage to fight back the pain.  
  
Gojyo put Hakkai gently lying on the floor and headed to the girl and helped her up.  
  
"...Are you okay?" Gojyo asked the girl abruptly, making the girl stunned by those words. She had never been treated nicely like that. Usually, other people ignored her whenever she hurt herself or got injured. Except her late brother...  
  
'...this man reminded me of him...'  
  
Gojyo was puzzled by the girl's act who totally ignored his question and the way she looked at Gojyo was even weirder.  
  
"...Oi, I said are you okay?"  
  
"Oh? Umm... Sumimasen. Yeah, I'm alright." She then looked at the 'Goku' in front with such abhorrence feelings inside her pure heart. 'Goku' smirked again and left those three at the back, and he was heading towards frozen Sanzo, who was still aiming the shoreiju to Goku.  
  
The girl was annoyed. She glared at the boy with sudden hatred and then she darted forward after she vanished her sword somewhere no one would ever knew.  
  
Goku was still standing frailly facing the monk when suddenly, he felt something was approaching him from behind that he turned his head once more. A punch was about to hurt his face, when he abruptly held the fist on time, making the girl shocked that she used her other fist for good.  
  
Unfortunately, the itan was faster that he punched the girl right in the stomach. The girl bent in pain, hissing quietly...  
  
'...Chikusho...Fight back, Izuko! Fight the pain!!'  
  
The girl lifted her face when another harsh blow hit her pretty face, and she was sent lying on the floor, making Gojyo damned worried. 'No way I'm going to let a girl got hurt.' he tried to stand up, but the pain inside became more worse that Gojyo fell again on his knees.  
  
"...Ojou-san! Hold on !!" Gojyo could only give mental support to her.  
  
'Goku' continued his plan, to hit Sanzo again, and make him unable to fight him back...Then eat him RAW. He drew closer to Sanzo and abruptly grabbed his injured neck making the blonde groaned helplessly. By any chance, the 'Goku' somehow lifted Sanzo up, about two inches above the floor. Sanzo let out a groan due to the pain when the itan lifted him like that.  
  
"...Sanzooo!!!! Kuso....." Gojyo reached his shakujou and threw the crescent edged chain swiftly towards Goku and it worked. The chain went around Goku's waist and gripped the itan's stomach quite tight, making 'Goku' let the monk go. Gojyo hurriedly pulled his shakujou, making the itan lost his balance and tumbled down on the wooden floor. 'Goku's' body was frail, though.  
  
Sanzo fell on the floor and held his neck while coughing again, trying to gasp more air into his lungs. 'Goku' hissed in pain and he clasped the chain firmly. Then, unexpectedly, he let out his 'ki' energy along the shakujou and Gojyo hurriedly let the shakujou off his hand, after he saw the shakujou being melted slowly.  
  
"...No way... Goku...??" Gojyo was entirely shocked, while the itan looked up to Gojyo's face, and started to step nearer to him. He grinned again, speechless. And from the grin, Gojyo could tell that Goku was going to finish him up with one finishing blow.  
  
The girl still didn't want to give up, that when the 'Goku' stepped over her to draw closer to Hakkai and Gojyo, she stretched her leg and kicked 'Goku's' feet, making the itan fell hard on the floor once more.  
  
The girl took the only chance to stand up and pinned Goku under, making the itan couldn't move. She drew her head closer to Goku's and chanted something under her breath, which made Gojyo completely determined to move and went closer to those two. He slowly moved his legs and made the wall became his support.  
  
"...Urggg!!!! Let me go, you human!! Yarou!! Let me gooo!!!!" the itan struggled hard to loose himself, and the girl slapped the itan hard across his face to make him shut his mouth. Although he struggled even harder to free himself, he was held tight, glued to the floor by the girl's grab. Gojyo hurriedly helped the girl by pushing Goku on the floor, not knowing what the girl wanted to do.  
  
"...What are you going to do??"  
  
...No answer.  
  
The girl kept on chanting with her eyes closed tight, simultaneously her pendant shone a blue light brightly that filled the hallway, followed by Goku's deafening scream...  
  
Sudden impact hit those guys right when the light started to shine all over the place, but still it wasn't too powerful. It was like a small hurricane happened to pass them, and it made the elders more than just shocked.  
  
The men were stunned, covering their eyes since the light was too bright that it might make them all blind with its outstanding glow. They totally ignored the scream and the chanting sound. But then, they were again more than perplexed and astonished. Gojyo and mostly, Sanzo felt an energy source went through their bodies, and their pain abruptly faded away by the unknown resource.  
  
Suddenly in the bright light, Hakkai jerked his eyes open and he found out some sort of energy made him conscious again.  
  
'...This girl?? She's healing us with her energy!' Hakkai suddenly realised since he too, was a healer. He thought about it for a while, and then he recalled something.  
  
'But I don't feel like she's a youkai... how come she has this 'ki' power anyway?' the question kept on popping in his mind, and he struggled hard to find the answer when then, the bright light gradually disappeared.  
  
"Huh...It's done."  
  
The girl went off Goku who was unconscious due to the ritual that happened just before. She tied her long silvery hair while watching Goku with deep sympathy. She understood how the elders felt about Goku been possessed, since she herself experienced it before...  
  
Goku didn't move a bit, making Gojyo damned worried. He grabbed Goku in his arms, calling the itan's name continuously. He shook the motionless body gently, but still, Goku didn't open his eyes. Then, all of a sudden...  
  
".Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Iyaaa!!!!!!!!! Please. leave me alone!!!!! Arhhhhhhh!!!!"  
  
Goku screamed. He screamed so loud just like before, making Hakkai and Sanzo gathered along around Goku. They all shared the same thoughts...  
  
'...What actually happened to Goku???'  
  
The girl was standing straight with her eyes widened in fear...  
  
'...No...It's not going to happen again...Please don't happen again...'  
  
She suddenly fell on her knees, still staring at Goku fretfully, and she realised she was shaking hard in fear and terrified... She hugged herself, and prayed...  
  
'...Please don't let this boy die,... like what happened to them...Izumi, and onii-chan...'  
  
Before she knew it, she was crying hard, making the ikkou turned to her.  
  
'...Why?'  
  
To be continued... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seiko: ...Finished chapter 2!! So how was it guys? I did make Gojyo acted more, satisfied??  
  
Gojyo: Obviously!! Sankyu! (!!^__^!!)  
  
Goku: ...So, who is this 'Izuko' anyway?  
  
Seiko: ...Aha! And I'm not going to reveal her identity just yet! Cause that's the most interesting part of this story! (^^)  
  
Goku: ...How old is she? The same as me?? (^____^)  
  
Hakkai: ...Can she cook? Oh, and is she a healer like me?  
  
Gojyo: ...Is she a sexy young onna? If so, I'm going to ask her out!  
  
Seiko: ...Arhgggghhh!!! I said, I'm NOT going to tell you anything about her! Wait for the next chap, and you'll know her well later.  
  
Sanzo: Oh yeah?? And I bet the readers are damned mad with your boring fic! Ch, it surely sucks for me. (- -)OoO°  
  
Seiko: ...Haa?? Honto ni?? Uuuu..... (T--T)  
  
Hakkai: maa, maa... Stop crying. I'll help you, okay? (^__^) {pats Seiko's head}  
  
Seiko: Really?? Sankyu onii-chan! (^--^) Anyway, sorry if the story REALLY made all of you bored like crazy! So, if you don't want to be bored, review!! So that I can make this story even more interesting!  
  
Hakkai: Here are the Japanese words that maybe the readers don't understand in the fic...  
  
Hanyou - half demon, half human/ taboo child.  
  
Itan - heretic  
  
Gojyo: And I'm sure you readers know the other words, right? But if you don't, don't hesitate to ask this onna narrator here! Ja!  
  
Seiko: WAITT!!!! Oh dear readers, please R & R, pleeeeaaassseeeee... ONEGAI!!!! Uuuuu.... (T---T)  
  
Gojyo: ...Huh, there she goes again, crying all the time...  
  
Hakkai: Maa, maa..... Sh... don't cry okay? {hugs Seiko}  
  
Goku: ...Stop crying, Seiko-chan. I'll give you my nikumans if you stop,ne?  
  
Seiko: ....{still crying}  
  
Gojyo: ...Maybe, we'll go out if you stop crying, how's that? (!!^__--!!!)  
  
Seiko: {stops crying and stares Gojyo}...  
  
Gojyo: Wow, I never knew she likes me too!  
  
Seiko: .....UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (T0T)  
  
Hakkai: {chuckles nervously} .....I think she hates you, Gojyo. Yameru kudasai, Seiko-chan.  
  
Sanzo: (-___-####) ...KKkkkkkkkkkkk.....Baka Onnnnaaa!!!!! URUSEIII!!!!!! {smacks Seiko's head}  
  
Seiko: ITTAII!!!!!!!! Oi, it hurts, kono baka bouzu!!! Uuuu..  
  
Sanzo: STOP IT!!!! IT MAKES MY EARS BURST, BAKA WRITER!!!! SHINEEE!!!! {strangles Seiko}  
  
Seiko: {strangles back on the floor} ...BAKA NAMAGUZA BOUZU!!!!! ARGG!!! HANASE!!!  
  
Sanzo: {still strangling Seiko} ...Urgg....HANASE, OMAE WO KOROSU!!!!  
  
Hakkai: Yare yare desu ne...What should we do now, ne, Hakuryu? (o___^())  
  
Hakuryu: .Kyuuuu!!! (translations: ...Leave them like that, they're lovers after all!)  
  
Sanzo and Seiko: ...HAKURYUUU!!!!!!!!! {chases Hakuryu all around the neighbourhood}  
  
Hakuryu: {flies away} KYUU!!!!! (translations: Help mee!!!!!!)  
  
Hakkai: {sweat dropped} he...he...he... (o___^;;;;;;;)  
  
Gojyo: Again, sorry dear readers if those two really make you all crazy...  
  
Goku: HM! Btw, they're not 'lovers', though. So, for those who love Sanzo like mad, please don't attack Seiko-chan, she's still a high school student who needs to study for next year's BIG exam...  
  
All: {bows} Onegai shimasu and Arigato for R & R!!!  
  
Background: {Sanzo's shoreiju shots like crazy} {Neighbours cursing both Seiko and Sanzo} {Hakuryu cooed frightfully} {Seiko fell into lake and splash sound} {Seiko:.SANZOOO!!!!!}  
  
Sanzo: {went home, panting} huh...huh...  
  
Hakkai: ...Eh? What happened??  
  
Also, to be continued! (^__^()) 


	3. Chapter 03 The Pendant

Seiko:...Konnichiwa, Saiyuuki fans! How are you?? (^--^)  
  
Hakkai: ...Hai, konnichiwa! {looks at those three} Minna, do greet the readers, or they won't read this fic!  
  
Others: ...Koooo---niiii---chiii---waaaaaaaa...  
  
Hakkai: Hihihi..... Sorry!  
  
Seiko: Actually those guys were extremely tired, after been chased all over this place last night... (^--^;;;)  
  
Hakkai: ...Ee?? What do you mean by 'been chased'?  
  
Seiko: Anou. I'll tell you at the end of this chapter, okay? Anyway, like what I always said before, I don't own Saiyuki, it belongs rightfully to Minekura Kazuya-san! {bows} thank you sensei, for creating GS the manga! (^- --^)  
  
Sanzo: ...U...ruu...sa.....iii.....ba...kaa......on...naaaa... { sleeps }  
  
Gojyo: ...Start.....the...chap.....teeeerrrr.....already..... { falls down from couch }  
  
Goku: Uuuu...nikumans.....siu mais....chop suey.....chocolate cake.....brownies..... Peking roast duck..... { drools while sleeping }  
  
Seiko and Hakkai: {sweat dropped}  
  
Seiko: { chuckled nervously } ...I guess let's move on, ne, onii- chan?  
  
Hakkai: Hai!!  
  
Goku: .....Sushi.....ramen.....nasi lemak.....sambal belacan.....dried salted fish..... {drooooollllsss }  
  
Hakkai: Eeeee?????? Since when he started eating Malay foods??  
  
Seiko: ...Hihihi... (^--^;;;;;) He saw my cooking book, onii-chan. That's why....  
  
Hakkai: Yare yare desu ne... If Goku asked me to cook them, you would be responsible for that, young lady! {sighs}  
  
Seiko: ...Gomen nasai! { bows } Anyway, enjoy this chap! (^__^)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT  
  
Chapter 3 - THE PENDANT  
  
...from the last chapter...  
  
"..Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Iyaaa!!!!!!!!! Please... leave me alone!!!!! Arhhhhhhh!!!!"  
  
Goku screamed. He screamed so loud just like before, making Hakkai and Sanzo gathered along around Goku. They all shared the same thoughts.  
  
'...What actually happened to Goku???'  
  
The girl was standing straight with her eyes widened in fear...  
  
'...No...It's not going to happen again.Please don't happen again...'  
  
She suddenly fell on her knees, still staring at Goku fretfully, and she realised she was shaking hard in fear and terrified. She hugged herself, and prayed...  
  
'...Please don't let this boy die,. .. like what happened to them...Izumi, and onii-chan...'  
  
Before she knew it, she was crying hard, making the ikkou turned to her.  
  
'...Why?'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...Ojou-san? Daijoubu ka? Ojou-san...!" Hakkai called the girl repeatedly, after he saw the girl cried all of a sudden, making the ikkou rather perplexed.  
  
...The girl kept on crying, while clasping herself tight, and she was bending down, hiding her face from the ikkou. She tried hard not to cry actually, when she just couldn't hold the tears. Her crystal tears dropped, swiftly absorbed into the wooden floor. Her sobs became even louder, making the men stared at her, puzzled.  
  
Hakkai, being a caring brother reached the girl and knelt before her, and patted her shoulder gently. He didn't know the reasons why the silver- haired was crying, but he curled his warmest smile, which was always effective on making girls stop weeping. But then, the girl slowly pushed away Hakkai's hand, making the latter more puzzled.  
  
'...Stop crying, Izuko. You don't want these guys show their sympathy on you, ne? So stop.'  
  
The girl lowered her sobs and wiped her tears with her long left sleeve, and she slowly lifted her face, facing smiling Hakkai. She felt like her heart throbbed so fast that it could match a train's speed, when seeing Hakkai smiled...  
  
...it was equal to her late onii-chan's smile. They looked the same.  
  
"Anou...daijoubu ka? Why are you crying?" Hakkai asked the girl politely, trying not to hurt her inner feelings. The girl didn't say a thing, but she smiled back faintly towards Hakkai as if she was saying 'I'm fine' from her sweet smile. But still, the smile didn't satisfy Hakkai's request. The emerald-eyed man looked deep in the girl's raven eyes, and abruptly, the girl shed her tears again.  
  
...It all happened all of a sudden. Before she realised it, she was crying again. Quickly, she covered her face with both her palms.  
  
Hakkai knew something was wrong with that young girl in front of him. She couldn't be crying because of Goku, she didn't even know him in the first place. Not one of them. But then the brotherly instinct inside Hakkai showed itself clearly when the youkai widened his arms and abruptly...  
  
...hugged the crying young girl.  
  
Hakkai's act made the two other men gawked at the touching scene, even that cold-hearted Sanzo couldn't help himself to view the event. But then, he snapped himself back to reality when he realised he shouldn't be that 'touched'. Well, he did have a slight emotion after all. While Gojyo, recalled back his past when Jien once hugged him after he had been beaten by his stepmother, Jien's mother.  
  
The girl herself was shocked, that she blushed severely in Hakkai's warm hug. She admitted the hug did remind her of someone...  
  
...someone who used to make her calm down like this...  
  
...someone who used to say sweet words just to make her stop weeping...  
  
...someone who...  
  
The girl stretched out her hands to hug the man back when suddenly...  
  
'...But this is not onii-chan!!!!! He's a stranger, Izuko! A stranger!!!'  
  
She halted. The girl pushed Hakkai slowly, making the latter felt quite guilty, to hug a young lady like that. He didn't know why, but she looked so pitiful, that he couldn't help with his own habits, being nice especially to youngsters. Even sometimes, he felt like hugging Goku all the time when he saw the saru sulked after being 'thwacked' by the harisen...  
  
...Hakkai and his brotherly self. Just couldn't help it, though.  
  
"....ARRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The ikkou and the girl were shocked by Goku's sudden scream. They turned to Goku, who was again struggling hard to overcome the pain that struck through his veins and muscles, like what he felt before.  
  
".... Leave...me.....It hurts....."  
  
Gojyo was deafened by the itan's loud cry that he hugged Goku even tighter, ignoring his own pain that struck him in his chest. But still, Goku was just grabbing himself tight, refused to let go of it. He seemed like he was struggling to get something out of his body and soul by force...  
  
...But then, he just couldn't.  
  
"Oi, Goku! Hold on, Goku!! Goku!!" Gojyo kept on calling him that, and suddenly, Goku's voice was heard feebly but clear enough.  
  
"...Go...Gojyo...Ittai..."  
  
Gojyo's eyes were filled with teardrops as he heard the voice, Goku's voice. He hugged the itan tightly into his arms, to make him feel better and stop trembling in pain. He hushed the itan somehow, as the saru stopped his moaning and the only thing left was his shaky frail body and the kid's body was sweating all over.  
  
Hakkai was terribly stunned. He quickly came to first aid, and touched Goku's forehead, which started to burn up. Hakkai let out his 'ki' energy to heal the itan's mind, but then he realised he just couldn't do anything about it at all. But then, he didn't expect Gojyo would be that caring and loving person he ever met. Besides, Gojyo could only be Goku's fighting mate, not more than a hentai brother. But once he saw the incident, he admitted, Gojyo treated Goku as his real brother after all, although they're obviously not.  
  
He turned abruptly to the girl behind him, who was staring at Goku with such sympathized look.  
  
"Anou, ojou-san. I'm afraid we need your help here. I just couldn't find the cause why he reacted like this... And he's starting to get a fever too..."  
  
Hakkai explained it clear and understandable. But still, the girl didn't say anything. She was just looking at Goku and she was actually afraid of the scene, since that very day her onii-chan died...  
  
...in the same way.  
  
"...Ojou-san?" Hakkai called the girl again after he realised she didn't pay much attention to his request before.  
  
This time, the girl got struck back and she hurriedly went next to Hakkai who was healing several bruises made due to the previous fight. The girl bowed a bit, and stepped nearer to Goku, who was now shivering as if he was covered with ice, despite of his raising temperature... the ikkou just couldn't say more but gave a deep sigh in their hearts.  
  
"...Sumimasen. I wasn't listening..." Not long after that, the silver- haired girl moved closer to Goku, and she looked in Gojyo's eyes as a sign to let Goku go for a while. Gojyo gently put Goku on his lap and the female latter touched Goku's forehead making him moaned again, slowly in pain.  
  
'...Save him, Izuko. You mustn't lose this boy too. Just like how you lost your.' The girl shook her head, tried not to get too emotional while trying to help those men. She knew she had such a heavy task to carry on...  
  
...to save another innocent life.  
  
"...shhhh... Onii-san?" the girl turned to Hakkai who was checking Goku's pulse. Hakkai faced the girl, and a faint smile curled up on his face, as he answered the young lady.  
  
"...He had just been possessed, but may I know what caused him to be like this?" She rubbed the itan's temple gently, and it made Goku eased a little bit. Gojyo and Hakkai looked straight to the girl's face, wondering what did she mean by that question. The girl continued after a long silence.  
  
"...You see, if I don't know what made him like this, then I can't make him normal again." The girl looked sympathized when she said that, making Hakkai and those two shocked by the statement. Especially the sentence 'normal again'.  
  
"...But you said he's fine! Why did you say that you're making him normal again? What do you mean by that?" Gojyo was worried that he was almost yelling at the girl. Realising that, Hakkai held Gojyo's shoulder, telling him to calm down.  
  
"...Let her finish, Gojyo."  
  
The girl stared at the men and she started explaining the actual thing happened to the boy.  
  
" This boy must have made someone angry with him, that made that person cursed him like this. Do you remember anything about it?"  
  
The ikkou looked at each other, and they shook their heads as the answer.  
  
"...No, I don't think so. Instead, he made others adored him, than to hate him like that..."  
  
Hakkai sure made a point. Goku had never been hated by someone that much. His childish acts certainly made the people around him liked him for being cute at this age! Even that cold-hearted Sanzo got melted whenever Goku showed his puppy eyes to him, then what about others?  
  
"...Sou ka... Then, did he pick or take someone's belongings from anywhere? Maybe, old looking things or ornaments..."  
  
Those men tried to recall their journey back then when all of a sudden, Hakkai stood up and reached something around Goku's neck inside his robe. The girl herself was shocked that she hastily gave way to the elder.  
  
...It was a pendant.  
  
"This... this pendant. The last time we fought the youkais, Goku found this thing and he refused to leave it there, saying that he wanted to give it back to its owner..."  
  
**************************************************************************** ************************* (the day before...)  
  
"....UUUuuuu...Hara hetta!!! Ne Hakkai! When will we reach the village? I'm so hungry that I can eat the whole jeep..." Goku groaned again as soon as his stomach started to grumble loud, followed by Hakuryu's 'coo' and even the kappa got distracted and woke up from his sleep.  
  
"...Oi, saru! Can't you think anything else than foods??" the typical kappa yawned and started the fight with Goku as usual.  
  
"...I'M NOT A SARU, KONO KAPPA!!!" Goku yelled back, facing the kappa whose veins got all throbbed out hearing his nickname. He stood on the jeep and pinched Goku's cheeks hard, making the itan stuck his fingers into Gojyo's mouth and started stretching the kappa's lips wide. They struggled to let themselves go, but couldn't help stretching each other's face. It's fun!  
  
Hakkai couldn't do anything by the time he realised those two were ruining each other's face like that from the rear mirror. He chuckled nervously, not to mention his sweat dropped so much that even Sanzo was damned mad at those two behind.  
  
"Koho heho happaaa!!!! Lek hoo hohf hee!!!! (=Kono ero kappa!!! Let go of me!!!!)"  
  
"...Eek hurhst kohoo baha haruuu!!!! (=It hurts kono baka saru!)"  
  
"I'mn hooct a bahaa hahruuu!!!!! HEHOO HAPPAA!!!! (=I'm not a baka saru!!!!! Ero kappa!!)  
  
"...Oh heah? Baha hahru, bahaa hahru, bahaaa hahruu!!!!!!" (you totally can understand it, don't you?)  
  
"...ArGGGGHhhh!!! HEHOOO HOOOHIHURIII HAPPPAAAA!!!! (=ero gokiburi kappa!!!)"  
  
" BAHAA HAHRUUUUUU!!!!"  
  
" EHOO HAPPAAA!!!"  
  
" BAHAA HAHRUUUUUU!!!!"  
  
" EHOO HAPPAAA!!!"  
  
" BAHAA HAHRUUUUUU!!!!"  
  
" EHOO HAPPAAA!!!"  
  
Sanzo's veins popped out all over his head, that it almost burst in rage and fury when he heard those two baka pets behind, making Hakkai laughed nervously and he tried hard not to laugh hearing at those weird 'language', and obviously he failed. Sanzo's hands itched to shove out his harisen and thwack those two weirdos but then Hakkai successfully stopped him with his own effective magic words.  
  
...well, sort of.  
  
"Maa, maa Sanzo...Don't hit them with the harisen or they'll bite each others' fingers then." followed by a nervous giggle.  
  
"...Fine." Sanzo shoved back his harisen inside his oversized sleeve and took out his shoreiju instead.  
  
"...I guess I'll just shoot them to death." Sanzo turned around, not to mention Hakkai's sweat dropped more than ever as he tried hard not to lose control of the jeep from heading into the forest nearby.  
  
'BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!'  
  
"...URUSAI!!!!! I'll kill you if you don't!!!"  
  
Well, as usual, Sanzo made another successful attempt to shut those troublemakers up. He sat back properly on his own seat and grunted while cursing those baka shounens behind. Hakkai grinned at the way Sanzo handled them, and he suddenly realised a sharp death-promising glare headed right towards him from beside his seat.  
  
Hakkai let out a sigh and started to giggle gleefully, tried to make neither the harisen nor the shoreiju used on him.  
  
"...Ii tenki desu ne, minna?" Hakkai gazed at those pets behind the jeep from his side mirror.  
  
Those two behind held their red cheeks, almost swollen, and still, they started arguing again. But not with their normal language.  
  
"...Hick hall yooooo hockl, koho baaahaa haarhuu!!!! Ikhhaaa.(=it's all your fault, kono baka saru! Itta...)"  
  
"...Whack!!! Yoooo harhled ickh!!! Hooohiiburhii haapppaaa!! (=What! You started it, gokiburi kappa!)  
  
"...Hehehe...It's such a bright sunny day with those two behind, ne, Sanzo?" Hakkai curled his typical sweat dropping expression smile.  
  
"...Ch! Baka!"  
  
Suddenly,. ...  
  
'...SHREEECCCCKKKK.....' the jeep suddenly halted.  
  
Goku who suddenly fell forward due to the sudden halt groaned in pain while the kappa had already hurled out of the jeep, right on his butt. The corrupted monk grunted again nervously, since he almost broke the front glass if he hadn't balance himself before.  
  
"...Ittee....Why did you stop all of a sudden, Hakkai??" Goku rubbed his red nose hastily while looking at the dark-haired in front.  
  
"...Yare yare... I guess we've got some unwanted guests here..."  
  
The ikkou jumped out of the jeep, and automatically the jeep transformed to its original form. Hakuryu flew and perched on his master's shoulder while 'coo'ing fretfully.  
  
They looked around, and they realised they've got surrounded all over by youkais!  
  
Gojyo appeared his shakujou while the saru with his almighty nyoibou, both leaned at each other's back, preparing to defend themselves from the youkais that might kill them as well. They both stared at the big red eyes, apparently owned by the bad youkais, when suddenly, a big muscular youkai loomed in front of the ikkou, smirking annoyingly towards them.  
  
"Don't they have anything else to do than trying to kill us?" Gojyo voiced his thoughts out, making Goku startled.  
  
"...Whatever it is, I want to make it hurry... I'm still hungry..." Goku moaned as his stomach groaned again, but was totally ignored by the elders this time.  
  
Sanzo lifted his shoreiju towards the boss-demon and abruptly shot the first bullet. The youkai vanished himself and suddenly appeared again with a loud scream.  
  
"...ATTAAACKKKKK!!!!!"  
  
In a fraction of a sec, all the youkais jumped out from their hiding places and headed towards the ikkou with a loud cry, and they utterly made the ikkou deafened by the noise. Mostly, Sanzo. His veins throbbed out all at once hearing those cries and he swore to himself he would kill ALL the noisy youkais.  
  
"...Move, minna!!" Hakkai yelled out to his friends, and they've got separated to two groups. Hakkai with Sanzo, while the kappa teamed up with the saru.  
  
The youkais kept on attacking those men without any hesitation, and the great Sanzo-sama didn't give any chance to the youkais either, not even a touch. He shot all the youkais like crazy, and the others understood completely why he was mad that time. They could hear his curses all the time, and sorry, the curses are censored in this fic!  
  
"...Wow, hunger, tiredness, and wanting a place to rest really made him angry... Don't you think so, saru?" Gojyo smirked as three youkais attacked him at the same time, but he evaded and threw his crescent blade towards them, simultaneously making those nasty youkais vaporized and turned to dusts.  
  
"...I'm not a SARU, for yelling out loud!!!" Goku was jumping repeatedly to dodge several attacks from numerous armed youkais, while trying to avoid other sudden assaults from different directions. He jumped again high onto the air and swiftly swung his nyoibou, hitting all youkais who tried to pounce him that time. They vanished and left Goku with other irritating youkais.  
  
Hakkai as usual would curl his hideous smile towards his enemies and as a martial artist, he used his ability of Xi Gong skillfully. Not even a youkai felt brave enough to attack the emerald-eyed from close distance, since they knew they would die for sure. Thus, they could only attack Hakkai using their own 'ki' blasts.  
  
"Yare yare desu ne... I didn't know you have this 'ki' energy..." Hakkai formed an energy barrier to protect himself from being harmed by the youkais' 'ki' balls. He smiled gleefully as Hakuryu came to help, when the dragon let out a huge flame blast and it burnt all the youkais left for the day. The youkais vanished after a loud shriek.  
  
"...Woah, you're great Hakuryu!! I promise I won't eat you no matter how hungry I will get in the future!" Goku came running towards Hakkai and patted Hakuryu's small cute head, followed by the dragon's loving 'coo'. Gojyo came afterwards, right when he finished with his own opponents.  
  
Sanzo himself had finished earlier than anyone else, and he broke the record on killing the most youkai for the day. Well, he's quiet cranky that day, though. No doubt.  
  
"Oi, old man!" Sanzo lifted his gun headed right headed towards the youkai's head, and the other three of his companions joined in with their own weapons, concurrently making the boss-youkai clinched his tooth and stepped back.  
  
"...Not so fast!!!! Argghhh!!!!" Gojyo jumped and. ....  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------  
  
Goku sat on his seat quietly, and it was so rare to find out the saru was actually stop chanting his favourite word, or maybe names of foods. He was just staring at the thing he just picked up before, after they killed the last youkai for the day. He kept on looking intently at it, making the other three elders puzzled by his weird acts.  
  
"...Goku? Daijoubu ka?" Hakkai curled his warm smile again, while looking at Goku from the rear mirror.  
  
Goku didn't answer, making Hakkai and the two men even worrier. Goku was an energetic saru, not to mention he was the most genki boy the elders ever met. Gojyo threw away his cigarette and bent closer to Goku who was still speechless.  
  
"Oi, saru! Are you sick or something?" Gojyo tried to attract Goku's attention by purposely insert the word 'saru' in his question, expecting the saru would jump and pounce over him, or maybe just a reply, 'kappa' or 'gokiburi' from the kid's mouth.  
  
Still, Goku was wordless and his hands kept playing with the pendant he had just found.  
  
Hakkai looked at the monk beside, hoping for any word from him about Goku's weird behaviour. His emerald eyes stared at Sanzo for a while before he looked back on the road and Sanzo somehow reacted with a cold attitude, like always.  
  
"...Let him be like that. Once he see the foods, he'll surely become alive again." Sanzo had no energy left to cock up his shoreiju at the saru, and ask him whether he's the real saru they knew or not. Because he believed that saru was the real one.  
  
"Hm...I hope so, Sanzo. I hope so."  
  
(end of flashback) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The girl was terribly shocked, that she hurriedly took the pendant and examined it for a while. Then, she took out her own pendant, which shone before, and she seemed as if she was comparing those pendants by its looks.  
  
'I wonder if the spirit's still within...'  
  
Realising she was just imagining things, she took out her previous pendant, which shone so bright before, and she held it firm in her palms, putting it near her lips and she chanted something again in a language no one could ever understand... except her.  
  
By the meantime, the ikkou were completely puzzled on what was the girl trying to do. The pendant shone again, revealing its blue bracing light, but this time, it didn't shine too bright like before. The blue 'ki' somehow covered both the girl's and Goku's frail body right after the girl finished her chanting.  
  
Right when Goku's body shone altogether with the girl, Goku snapped his orbs open wide all of a sudden, followed by a deafening scream. He struggled again as if someone was grabbing his body tight and it wouldn't let him go. The ikkou were extremely shocked, and they thought that the girl was going to make Goku's condition even worse.  
  
The girl kept on chanting and she looked like she ignored all Goku's scream, when actually her heart melted hearing them. She purposely closed her eyes, and she admitted she felt quite afraid to see the boy's condition. It made her flashing back those bad things before...  
  
She was still placing her palm on Goku's chest while the other palm embraced her own blue pendant and the itan was still struggling hard with himself. Even Gojyo got kicked away by the boy, and he couldn't say anything about it, instead of just staring fretfully towards them both.  
  
But knowing Sanzo, he suddenly lifted his shoreiju right on the girl's head, ready to pull the trigger and shoot the girl to death. Hakkai and Gojyo looked shockingly towards those two, as Sanzo scolded the girl with such anxious tone. He was worried about Goku.  
  
.More than anyone else.  
  
"Are you trying to kill him???"  
  
The girl looked directly into Sanzo's amethyst eyes, and calmness was shown clearly on her face as she turned away from Goku and she pushed away the shoreiju from her head, smiling so sweet towards the monk. The light that once covered her body together with Goku vanished, and the itan stopped his screaming and he was laid there helplessly, frailly on the girl's laps. Sanzo was stunned by her acts that he glared back at the girl, demanding for explanations.  
  
"...Goshinpai naku, onii-san. I was just trying to communicate with the spirit, which possessed this boy. Nothing more."  
  
"...And? What did you get?" Hakkai went nearer to the girl, and set his eyes on hers. She curled her faint smile and looked away from the youkai's eyes.  
  
".I know you're worried about him. Don't be that, because he's okay now..." her voice was cool, but somehow it sounded as if she was hiding something from the ikkou. Hakkai realised that, and he touched the girl's shoulder abruptly, making the girl jerked a bit. She turned back, and she saw the man was smiling at her, and it surely made her heart soothed.  
  
"Are you sure, ojou-san? If so Goku is all right, then why did he screamed just now? Is he..."  
  
"...Ne, shinpai shinaide onii-san. He's fine." The girl tried to make him calm himself down with a smile that even Gojyo was attracted to it. It was just that this smile's too calmed and comforted making others felt eased.  
  
'...No, he's not fine. You knew it well, ne, Izuko? Demo, if you tell them the truth, then they would surely felt miserable...' the girl thought about it for a while.  
  
'...But if you don't tell them about it, when will they know about the truth?'  
  
The girl felt guilty. She was trapped between two decisions, whether to tell them the truth or false. She fought with her own mind, and then she decided...  
  
The girl was about to explain what she was thinking when suddenly, they heard some sort of noise coming from outside. Hakkai and Gojyo stood up and went to the window, and they saw them...  
  
...Bad youkais.  
  
"...Youkais, Hakkai." Gojyo dashed downstairs with the bouzu, leaving Hakkai with those two youngsters. The girl somehow was shocked, hearing the word 'youkai'.  
  
'...Are they going to capture me back? NO!!! I don't want to go back!'  
  
Hakkai stood up and rubbed the girl's head lovingly, making her sweat dropped. She actually felt weird when someone, especially a stranger like Hakkai rubbed his head as if she's a cat or something...  
  
She pushed away Hakkai's hand politely with a smile on her face. Hakkai knew he had just made a mistake by caressing the girl's head like that. 'She surely felt weird, ne?'  
  
"...I'll take care of this boy. Trust me."  
  
"...Onegai shimasu. We'll come back once we finished.' And with that, Hakkai ran downstairs and joined both Sanzo and Gojyo, already got surrounded by the youkais.  
  
'...They're looking after me.'  
  
...To be continued. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seiko: { yawned } ...I want to sleep now. Oyasumi, onii-chan... { sleeps together with the others on the floor }  
  
Hakkai: Eee??? Matte kudasai, Seiko-chan! You promised you're going to tell us about last night's incident!! Seiko-chaannn.... { shakes Seiko }  
  
Seiko: ....Huh? Oh, gomen I forgot already. Okay... Actually last night... Arhhhhh(yawned). .. Hmmm... { sleeps }  
  
Hakkai: ...Seiko-chan!  
  
Hakuryu: Kyuuuu!!! Kyu!! { takes Seiko's diary}  
  
Seiko: { sleepy mode } ...Great idea, Hakuryu...Read last night's event for me, onii-chan...Huwarrhhhh... oyasumi! Kuh...  
  
Hakkai: { sweat dropped} ...Huh, okay then...  
  
{ last night }  
  
Sanzo: { reaches home, panting } huh...huh...  
  
Hakkai: ...Eh? What happened??  
  
Sanzo: { runs through the back door }  
  
Seiko: SANZOOO!!!!!! Omae o korosu!!!! Where are you?? { reaches home, all wet } Onii-chan! Better tell me where he is!  
  
Hakkai: { sweat dropped } Anou....  
  
Gojyo: ...He ran through the kitchen's door. Now shoo! I'm watching TV here!  
  
Seiko: { runs to the back, saw Sanzo's running away } Oiii!!! Come back here you...  
  
Hakkai: ...there they go again... Huh...  
  
Sanzo: { suddenly pops out from the front door } ...GOJYOO!!!!  
  
Gojyo: ...ARKK????  
  
Sanzo: ...OMAE.... { veins all popped out } { takes out shoreiju, runs after run away Gojyo }  
  
Seiko: Ahh!!! There you are!!! MATTE, KONO BAKA BOUZU!!! { runs after bouzu, spills Goku's ice cream }  
  
Goku: ...ARHHH!!!! Seiko-chan!!! You spilled my ice cream!!! Oi, Wait up!! Pay back my ice cream!!! { runs after Seiko }  
  
Hakkai: { stumbles head over heels } ... Ittai...Those kids never learn...Huh...(o_^;;;;;())  
  
Background: { Gojyo screams for help } { Sanzo's shoreiju shoots like crazy } { Sanzo's curses } { Seiko's yelling } { Goku's yelling } { Goku's.... (o___^()) stomach grumbles loudly } { All neighbours' curses }  
  
"SPLAAAASSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
Hakkai: ...Oro?? What the... { looks out } OH MY GOD!!! GUYS!!!  
  
{{ Well, Gojyo IS a water monster right? So, he decided to protect himself in the place where he belong, and he didn't expect the others would jump into the lake together !!}}  
  
Sanzo: KOROSU!!! Kappaaa!!!! { strangles Gojyo }  
  
Gojyo: ...HANASEI, BAKA BOUZU!! { strangles back in the lake }  
  
Goku: ...GIMMEBACKMYICECREAAMMM!!!!! { swims after Seiko}  
  
Seiko: ...I didn't do it!!! Arkkk!!!! { got hit by Sanzo's harisen } OMAE.... {pulls Sanzo's hair }  
  
Sanzo: ...LET GO OF MY HAIR, BAKA ONNAA!!!! KOROSU!!!  
  
Seiko: ...I won't, baka bouzu!!! SHIIII---- { speechless } ---NE???  
  
Others: { look at Seiko's fist, filled with locks of Sanzo's hair }  
  
Sanzo: { jaw dropped } ......O-M-A-E.....{veins throb}  
  
Seiko: { put back the hair on Sanzo's head } GOMEN!!! { hurriedly swims ashore and runs away }  
  
Goku: ...Sa...Sanzo?  
  
Sanzo: ....KKkkkkkk.....BAKA ONNAAA!!!!!! OMAE WO KOROSU!!!!!!! ARGHHH!!!! { shots madly again }  
  
{END of Diary}  
  
Hakkai: ...So, that's what happened, readers....Huh, I just can't believe it...That's why they've all got worn out like this...Sanzo chased them all night. And they only came back home early this morning... (o___^;;;;;)  
  
Hakuryu: Kyuuu!!!!  
  
Hakkai: Anyway, please R & R ne! We'll be glad to read those comments!! Ja!  
  
Goku: ...Uuuuu...Give me back my ice cream... { talks, strangling Gojyo in sleep }  
  
Gojyo: ...Itte.... Baka bouzu.... kuuuhhh... { strangles Goku back weakly, in sleep }  
  
Sanzo: ...Ero kappaaa....Ko, ro, suuuu.... {punches Seiko weakly, in sleep }  
  
Seiko: ...I didn't... take your ice cream, baka saru.... { kicks Sanzo repeatedly, in sleep }  
  
Hakkai: .... { speechless, goes to the kitchen, sweat dropping } ....(o____--()()())  
  
Hakuryu: KYUU!!! (=Bye, see you again!) 


	4. Chapter 04 Saving The Itans

Hakkai: Seiko-chan! Seiko-chan! {pats Seiko to wake her up}  
  
Seiko: Hm? Eh, it's morning already?  
  
Hakkai: Hai! Ohayo, Seiko-chan! What do you want for breakfast today? (o___^)  
  
Seiko: ...{death glares Hakkai}  
  
Hakkai: {sweat dropped} .....Seiko-chaann??  
  
Seiko: {takes Sanzo's newspaper and placed it before Hakkai's eyes} ...See?!  
  
Hakkai: {reads the headline} All Muslims STILL fast today... HUH!!!!! Aaa, gomen nasai, Seiko-chan! I didn't mean to!!! {bows and bows and bows}  
  
Seiko: Naahh, that's okay. But still, you can cook for these scalawags. I don't mind.  
  
Sanzo: {cocks shoreiju} ...Want to die early?  
  
Seiko: {takes out scissors} ...Want me to cut your hair?  
  
Sanzo: ...Ch! {veins pop out} {placed back shoreiju}  
  
Seiko: ...Muarkkhh hahahaha!! {laughs hysterically facing outside the window}  
  
Hakkai: Oh, before we forget, Seiko doesn't own Saiyuki, it belongs rightfully to Minekura Kazuya-san! Ne, Seiko-chan?  
  
Seiko: Sou yo! And for those Muslim readers out there, HAPPY FASTING!!! Oh, let's start with the next chap...{turns on the computer} Oi, bouzu! Smoke outside!! Not here in my precious room!  
  
Sanzo: ...Whatever!! {throws cigarette and starts eating} Yum, yum!  
  
Seiko: {sweat dropped} Oh Lord, Please save me.... Uuuuu... (T-T)  
  
Hakkai: Yare yare desu ne... {pushes Sanzo out} Come Sanzo, eat outside kay?  
  
Seiko: ...LET'S START!!! Chapter 4!!! Oh, baka humor alert!! ENJOY! (^--^)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT  
  
CHAPTER 4-SAVING THE ITANS  
  
{{{from the last chap}}}  
  
"...I'll take care of this boy. Trust me."  
  
"...Onegai shimasu. We'll come back once we finished.' And with that, Hakkai ran downstairs and joined both Sanzo and Gojyo, already got surrounded by the youkais.  
  
'...They're looking after me...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...Woah, so many of them?? What are they? Youkai breeders??" Gojyo protested while appearing his shakujou from nowhere. Sanzo who was cocking his shoreiju towards the malicious youkais turned to Gojyo, sweat dropped.  
  
"...I thought Goku melted your shakujou?" Sanzo turned back to those demons, followed by the kappa's irritating smirk, making Sanzo felt like shooting the water monster than to kill the youkais they were supposed to destroy.  
  
"I'm a great magician, don't you know?" Gojyo replied with such annoying tone, and unexpectedly a familiar white shining material fell hard on his head, making his face met the ground.  
  
Gojyo lifted his head and moaned helplessly, rubbing his bleeding nose, while trying to hold the pain.  
  
"...Stop being proud of yourself, kono hentai kappa!!" it was the harisen which met with Gojyo's head just before, and Sanzo's act really made the youkais couldn't help themselves from stumbling head over heels.  
  
Gojyo stood up and combed his crimson locks of hair between his fingers. Then, he grabbed back the shakujou and prepared himself to kill any of those damned youkai, obviously, before he got killed.  
  
Besides, he was in the mood to fight after been given 'spared energy' by the silver-haired girl before, back in the old inn. Sanzo too, got reenergized after he received the 'ki' power of hers.  
  
"...Saa, shall we start?" Sanzo pulled his trigger and without waiting any response from the uncountable youkais, he pulled the hammer twice and the shoreiju shot two shiny silver-coloured bullets dashing towards several youkais in front.  
  
Simultaneously, a straight line of youkais turned to black dusts and vanished.  
  
The other youkais got stunned. They were actually there not to fight with any ill-tempered monk or any funny looking red headed man, but they were supposed to capture a heretic, a female heretic.  
  
One of the youkais suddenly stepped forward, and he abruptly halted in front of those shounens before them.  
  
"...I'm sorry, but we're not here to hurt you men. But we're here to capture a female itan, and it's an order from our boss. So, if you don't mind..."  
  
Suddenly, a green 'ki' blast came out from inside the inn and it hit directly through the previous spoken youkai, leaving dusts separated everywhere and slowly vaporized into the air. Obviously, it was Hakkai.  
  
"...Sorry, but we do mind about it." Hakkai came out of the inn and stepped between Gojyo and Sanzo, forming another 'ki' ball in his palms. He didn't have to turn his head to both his companions to explain why he did that.  
  
"...They want to take the girl away. Dakara, we must protect her, minna- san."  
  
Sanzo sighed and grunted. He hated it when he had to trouble himself just to save some other person's life. But when he thought back about the girl's action to help them before, he stopped his sighing and once more lifted his shoreiju and pulled its trigger, geared up to shoot another youkai.  
  
"...You sure are getting meaner day by day, Hakkai."  
  
"...Sou ka?" Hakkai chuckled, making Gojyo beside a bit puzzled.  
  
"But they said they want to capture an itan, a female one. How come you said..."  
  
"...I'll tell you later, Gojyo. It's a long story, I think."  
  
Gojyo understood. He raised his shakujou and smirked naughtily towards the youkais left. They sure were many, but they didn't scare Gojyo a bit.  
  
"...So?? Any other explanation you want to confess? We've got a 'great' counselor here!"  
  
Apparently, Gojyo was talking about Hakkai, being a 'great' counselor. That certainly made Hakkai giggled, but then...  
  
"...TROOPS!!! DESTROY THEM!!!"  
  
The loud order was followed by the youkais cry and they all attacked the ikkou at the same time, the same technique used by lots of youkais who fought with the ikkou since a year ago.  
  
It made them bored, though. Sanzo sighed loudly, Gojyo sighed more louder and Hakkai sighed even more louder. They certainly were tired of those unchanged youkais.  
  
"...Sou, that's the way to greet your enemies!" Hakkai blasted his green 'ki' towards a group of youkais who suddenly jumped and almost hit him with their weapons, it effectively hit those wicked youkais and they vanished into the air, blown by the wind.  
  
Hakkai continued his fight by using his Xi Gong for better results, and it surely killed lots of youkais at a time.  
  
Gojyo kept on jumping aback when a group of youkais started to harm him with their axes and sickles, not allowing Gojyo to even move his shakujou and cut those demons. But then, he found something that might help, a wooden barrel of water!  
  
Hence, without wasting any time, Gojyo darted towards the container as fast as he could and he lifted it, throwing it right headed for the running youkais.  
  
And it worked, when the youkais shrieked like goats after they had been splashed with water and they halted for a while, cold. Gojyo took the chance to use his shakujou for good, and in a fraction of a second, all the youkais had finished. They vanished like the others.  
  
"Ch, that saru was right! I am a water monster after all..."  
  
The only left was Sanzo, shooting madly towards the jumping youkais who made Sanzo thought they were acting a hundred percent like frogs! He somehow wasted a lot of his bullets just to shoot those toad-like youkais, since they moved around too much, making the monk yelled like he's gone crazy already.  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo knew Sanzo was madly mad at those youkais that they had predicted what the stingy monk would do.  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo finished their own opponents as quick as they could and hastily darted inside the inn and closed the door, locking it from inside.  
  
They looked at Sanzo through the dusty window when then the monk jumped back, standing straight with his palms met each other, and his mouth started to chant the Tripitaka clear and loud.  
  
The youkais halted, not knowing what to do when suddenly...  
  
"...MAKAI TENJOU!!!!!!"  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo inside cheered gleefully for Sanzo's victory, and if only they were girls, they would have changed themselves to pom-pom girls and shouted for Sanzo! Imagine that, 'pom-pom Saiyuki girls!'  
  
"...Wait, Hakkai. I guess we're off the limit. Where did you find the idea anyway?"  
  
".....What? pom-pom girls? I found it out in one of your magazines, Gojyo!"  
  
".....Ee??? You read those books??" Gojyo jerked back, and he almost trip over the chair behind.  
  
"...Yare yare desu ne... I accidentally saw it in our backpack, sumimasen!"  
  
"Phew! I thought you read it!"  
  
Hakkai giggled gleefully and unlocked the door, after he saw Sanzo started to walk towards the inn. Sanzo was still mumbling and murmuring, cursing with al his heart when then...  
  
...They heard a girl's scream.  
  
'That girl!!' that was the only word that suddenly struck those shounens' heads. They hurriedly ran upstairs, when then they saw something that they couldn't afford to see at the first place!  
  
"...Let go of me, I can't breath...."  
  
Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo were more than just stunned. They saw Goku was conscious again, pinning the girl down the floor, strangling her neck hard, while the girl used all her energy left to push the itan away. The spirit within Goku's body revealed itself again!  
  
The three stooges... Ooopps! I mean the three men dashed towards them both and they pulled Goku as hard as they could with all their might. They could see Goku's eyes were flashing red again, made them terrified most.  
  
Abruptly, Goku 'hit' those three with his death-promising glare, even more deadly than Sanzo's, making them sent back like before. They knocked themselves against the wall, but for Sanzo, he was sent flying towards downstairs!  
  
Sanzo was terribly shocked that he screamed helplessly all along his 'journey' to the ground floor, hitting his butt on the stairs step by step...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
{A/N: Fine! Laugh as much as you want! Muarhh hahahha!!! Don't worry, Sanzo's eating outside, so laugh till you weep! Hahahahahaha!!! Hakkai: .....I don't think that's funny, Seiko-chan! Please be more serious! Seiko: Uh, gomen! (T-T)}  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...Sanzo!!!" Hakkai stood back and helped Gojyo to stand up, and then he learnt that Goku was still strangling the girl's neck tight, and it was impossible for her to breath.  
  
Gojyo was the one who ran first to help the girl, but when he was about to pull Goku's arms, the itan once more used his psychic abilities on Gojyo by just swinging his one hand and this time, Gojyo was sent outside, through the window, and he had a wonderful 'voyage' to the actual ground!  
  
"...Gojyo!!!"  
  
Hakkai couldn't stand it any longer. If he were to let this happen, the girl might as well died. He stepped closer to Goku, and when he was just at his back, Hakkai lifted his hand and...  
  
"Gomen nasai, Goku!"  
  
He smacked the pulse area on Goku's neck, making the itan unconscious again, and he fell right on the silver-haired girl. She was gasping hard for oxygen and Hakkai helped her to sit up, after he lifted Goku and put him aside.  
  
She held her neck, and coughed continuously, while Hakkai quickly reached downstairs and took the backpack on the table and rushed upstairs again, ignoring moaning Sanzo, shaking helplessly on the floor.  
  
"...Ooi...Hakk....kaiii..." . "...Gomen, Sanzo! But that girl needs first aid!" Hakkai went to the girl with a water bottle in his hand. He uncapped the bottle and slowly made the girl drank the water inside. But then, the girl spitted out all the water and smacked Hakkai's head hard, making the elder rather puzzled.  
  
"...What? What?"  
  
"...What kind of thing you gave me to drink?? It doesn't taste like water..." she coughed again, and Hakkai patted her back slowly this time while tasting the water inside the bottle when then...  
  
"...It's liquor!!! Uh, sumimasen ojou-san! I gave you the wrong bottle! Here." Hakkai took another bottle and gave it to the girl. And he was sure that was plain water, NOT hanyya's water, like how Sanzo described it before for liquor...  
  
".Arigatou." the bottle exchanged hands, when suddenly they heard footsteps on the stairs, and Hakkai was sure that were Sanzo and Gojyo. Realising that, he didn't look back but he busied himself checking Goku's pulse after the itan fell unconscious.  
  
But then, the girl shuddered her eyes open and tugged Hakkai's sleeve repeatedly while her eyes kept on staring at the figure behind Hakkai.  
  
"...Matte kudasai, ojou-san..."  
  
"...De...demo..."  
  
The figure was holding some kind of weapon, and he was about to hit Hakkai with it. The girl was terrified, since she thought that figure was a youkai left during the fight and she abruptly pushed Hakkai away, and the figure accidentally hit her instead.  
  
"...Ittai... What was that?" the girl opened her eyes and started rubbing her swollen head when suddenly, she realised...  
  
That figure was no youkai! It was the blonde monk with his notorious harisen!  
  
"...Ojou-san!! Daijoubu desu ka??" Hakkai quickly hurried towards the girl, and he gawked at Sanzo, who was showing no leniency after what he had done.  
  
"...It's her fault. Who told her to push you away, when actually I was going to spank your head off??"  
  
"...Spank my he...Demo doshite???"  
  
"...kkkk...kono....." Sanzo was about to smack Hakkai's head for THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIFE, when then a water monster emerged from behind and towed Sanzo's waist, thwarting him to beat Hakkai.  
  
"Oi, stop it baka bouzu!!! Are you crazy or what??"  
  
'THWACKKK!!!!'  
  
A thwack was successfully formed on the kappa's head, leaving him cried out in pain while crouching on the floor. The other two sweat dropped looking at the incident.  
  
Sanzo then shoved back his harisen and folded his arms, cursing and cursing and cursing all night long.  
  
" Sanzo, gomen nasai! I didn't mean to ignore you just now, but this ojou- san over here was almost get killed!" Hakkai bowed continuously before Sanzo.  
  
"Who asked you to take care of that baka yagi onna???? She can take care of herself, forbid sake! She's @$%&%$#@!!!!"  
  
Wild veins popped out of the girl's head all over, her eyebrows almost meet each other due to the frowning, and her tooth clinched in anger after she heard those curses, purposely directed towards her.  
  
She abruptly stood up and patted her clothes. When then...  
  
"Arhhh!!!!! Shiinee!!!!"  
  
...Unpredictably the girl jumped and pounced on Sanzo, making him fell on the floor with his spine still aching due to his fall just now. The girl strangled Sanzo while the flaxen-haired as usual took out his dearly loved harisen and smacked the girl's head brutally.  
  
Well, the girl didn't show any pity by strangling Sanzo like that either, though.  
  
"...Yameru kudasai, you two! Stop it!" Hakkai pulled the girl's shoulders, but still, she refused to let go of Sanzo who got even more aggressive with his thwacking.  
  
Gojyo grinned, followed by a laugh that struck him all of a sudden, he found it fun to see the stingy monk picked a fight with a girl. Hakkai was bewildered by Gojyo's laugh that even the two latter stopped their 'grappling' session.  
  
They all gaped at Gojyo who abruptly laughed with no reasons.  
  
Gojyo almost burst his tears out when he saw those three gawked at him like that, that the stupid kappa laughed even more hysterically and he stepped back, and further back, and...  
  
"...Arhhhh!!!!!!!!! Yaaaaa hu hu hu huiiiiiii....."  
  
'.....THUUUUUD!!!'  
  
The three sweat dropped. They looked at each other with weird expressions and then they all rushed to the window, and they saw a flat horny water monster on the ground, groaning in pain, and it was still been able to move.  
  
Thankfully the distance between the ground and the second floor wasn't too long, that made the helpless kappa saved from sudden death.  
  
"...Itteee....." The kappa groaned in pain while holding his back.  
  
Thank goodness that saru was unconscious, or otherwise he would have been laughing like crazy seeing Gojyo like that.  
  
"...Yare yare desu ne... That's why you shouldn't laugh at others, Gojyo." Hakkai quickly went to fainted Goku and lifted him up on his back. He then walked downstairs followed by the girl who helped with the backpack, while Sanzo cursed on Gojyo's awkwardness.  
  
On the way downstairs, a small white dragon flew above them and went out, transforming itself to a big green jeep. The girl was utterly stunned. She had never met with any dragon that could change themselves to vehicles.  
  
But she somehow didn't show her stunned expression too much, since the boy was still fainted.  
  
"Hayaku, Gojyo! We need to reach the next village quick!"  
  
Hakkai placed out cold Goku on the backseat, followed by the injured kappa who jumped in the jeep and moaned like a 90-year-old man as he settled himself on the seat, putting Goku's head on his lap.  
  
Then, Sanzo and Hakkai got on the jeep on their usual seats. The girl was still standing next to the jeep, staring at Goku.  
  
"Anou, ojou-san?" Hakkai turned to the girl, trailed by Gojyo's look upon her.  
  
"...Hai?" the girl answered, and she felt like crying that time, she just didn't know why. But for sure, she would felt like crying whenever she saw sick person.  
  
"...Why don't you step in yet?"  
  
Hakkai politely asked the girl, and this time, Sanzo had none to protest about Hakkai's request to make the girl follow them. For Goku's sake.  
  
The girl stared back at Goku, still messing up her mind on whether to go along or not. Just a while then, the girl looked up, curling her sweetest smile and hopped onto the jeep, landing herself at the back of Sanzo's seat.  
  
"...Sorry to interrupt your journey, but I promise I'll leave as soon as I cured this boy."  
  
"...Make it sooner, and you had some nerves to let a baka yagi onna like her to follow us, Hakkai."  
  
Obviously, that was Sanzo's insolent talk. Hakkai was about to reply the monk when then an azure coloured sword passed swiftly near Sanzo's neck less than a centimeter. The monk almost jump his heart out and sweated all over nervously, so did Hakkai beside, whilst the kappa behind almost swallow his own cigarette.  
  
"...And onii-san, I beg you not to insult me during this baka ride of yours. Got it?"  
  
The girl didn't pull back her sword, instead she kept it like that, while waiting for the bouzu's respond.  
  
But of course, the monk wouldn't say anything nice towards others, that Hakkai was damned worried if all of a sudden Sanzo would curse with all his heart, making the girl ran out crazy and chopped the bouzu's head off for real.  
  
Realising that was his task to make peace, Hakkai bowed to the girl, pleading her to retreat her sword.  
  
"...Ojou-san, Onegai shimasu! He didn't say it on purpose...."  
  
"...Alas, I did." Sanzo suddenly intervened and he was about to curse the girl behind when Hakkai sent him a deathly defiant stare, making his body shivered slightly.  
  
".I hope so, onii-san." The girl understood well, and she vanished her sword, leaving Sanzo sighing in relieve deep in his heart.  
  
Hakkai smiled and he stepped on the acceleration bar, causing the jeep to move forward in full speed. They needed to reach the next town as fast as they could, since the village had no facilities, not even a people in that spooky place.  
  
Besides, they need to rush, as they had to let the girl alleviate Goku's pain caused by the possessing thing.  
  
Hakkai had no ability to treat haunted patients, but the girl did. The ikkou knew it well since they saw the girl tried to commune with the spirit within Goku's frail body, and they realised that girl by hook or by crook, had the ability to converse with invisible living forms.  
  
The ikkou got tons of things to ask about Goku, and the girl definitely would be the 'victim' to answer their questions.  
  
"...Ojou-san? We haven't introduce ourselves yet, ne?"  
  
The girl was shocked by the abrupt subject the emerald-eyed latter contributed just then. She was actually still checking Goku's condition before, when subsequently the elder struck her back to reality. She turned to Hakkai, making the latter smiled again.  
  
"...Shitsurei, what did you just say?"  
  
"...I said we haven't tell our names yet, ne? Boku wa Cho Hakkai desu. Hakkai would be fine."  
  
"...Sou ka? Watashi..."  
  
The girl hadn't finished her words yet when the crimson-eyed interrupted their conversation. He tapped the girl's shoulder, making her to face Gojyo.  
  
"...I'm Gojyo. Sha Gojyo." He winked his eye naughtily, and without any prospect from the elders, the girl made her sword worked again.  
  
It appeared all of a sudden right between Gojyo's eyes, right on his nose, and obviously the others' sweat dropped. Hakkai giggled nervously like always, and Sanzo grinned devilishly, felt rather amused by the way the girl treated the hentai kappa.  
  
"...I guess my harisen won't trouble itself smacking the kappa's head anymore."  
  
Hakkai almost stumble head over heels hearing Sanzo's statement that he nearly lose control of Hakuryu.  
  
"...Ma, ma Sanzo...Ojou-san? Yameru kudasai..."  
  
Gojyo gulped nervously, and he tried so hard to make the girl let down her guts by moving his face elsewhere, but it seemed like this girl's an expert in sword fighting. The sword was still headed to Gojyo's face right in the middle of it, no matter how hard the kappa tried to get away.  
  
"...And you, hentai onii-san. Try and seduce me, and I'll cut your nose off."  
  
She slowly put her sword down, and it vanished again in a fraction of a sec. She turned again towards Goku before she looked at Hakkai once more, whom she considered him to be a 'polite onii-san', while ignoring the 'hentai onii-san' behind and the 'stingy onii-san' in front.  
  
"...That boy there is Son Goku, and this man is Genjo Sanzo. I hope you can call us by our names, since we're not used being called 'onii-san' all the time..." he giggled gleefully, followed by Sanzo's grunt, a sign that he too, was agreed with that statement.  
  
"Honto? Gomen nasai, I didn't know about it..." she smiled again, making Hakkai couldn't let his gaze off that sweet girl behind.  
  
"...and what's your name?"  
  
The girl turned around and she saw the redheaded kappa wiped his sweat due to the last encounter with the blue sword. She giggled, and she looked so cute that even Sanzo blushed vaguely after he saw the girl from the rear side mirror.  
  
Hakkai was actually about to ask the girl's name, but he gave way to the kappa this time.  
  
"...Izuko desu."  
  
"...Izuko?? Kawaii namae desu ne...So, wanna go out with me?"  
  
Hakkai sweat dropped while patting his head hard, couldn't believe that the crimson-haired somehow forgot about the threat the girl named Izuko just did to him.  
  
On the other hand, Sanzo was cursing the kappa so hard inside that his head started to frown and numerous veins popped out all of a sudden. But then, before he was to whack the kappa's head...  
  
"...I mean what I meant, Gojyo-san."  
  
Hakkai and Sanzo were both puzzled. 'Just words? No violent scenes?' They hurriedly looked back and they realised...  
  
...They were wrong at the first place.  
  
Izuko was standing on the jeep, putting his palm covered with scarlet 'ki' ball, right in front of the hanyou's face, and she seemed like she was about to blast it anytime now.  
  
The elders could see numerous veins throbbed madly on her forehead, not to mention her hands started to get itchy to beat the kappa up.  
  
Gojyo, well, he was jerking his head back, while he was out of the jeep by half of his body, trying to balance himself not to fall. He kept on avoiding her, but failed. While Goku, on the other hand was placed on the next seat neatly.  
  
Both elders in front sweat dropped so hard that they refused to look in front. Too interested to see what would happen next.  
  
"...Izu...Izuko-san??" Gojyo was trembling that time, his hands were shaking while he himself was sweat dropping due to what Izuko did. The girl was still refusing to let Gojyo free from the dangerous threat, until all of a sudden...  
  
"...HAKKAI!!!! LOOK OUT!!"  
  
'BANG!!!'  
  
Izuko hurriedly absorbed back her 'ki' ball while then she realised she was on Gojyo ON the ground right when she opened her eyes. She saw the jeep met with a big tree trunk, and as a result, the jeep transformed back to its original form, sending both elders and Goku on the ground too.  
  
Hakuryu laid on the ground and he 'coo'ed in pain. Hakkai left the cursing monk and rushed to Hakuryu and he found the dragon's head was bleeding.  
  
"...Hakuryu!! This is all my fault..." he formed his healing 'ki' beam and treated Hakuryu's wound.  
  
Izuko rushed next to Hakuryu, and she promptly healed Hakuryu's head with her own bluish 'ki' beam, simultaneously making Hakuryu stopped 'coo'ing and his head was completely healed faster than before.  
  
Hakkai sighed in relieve when Hakuryu flew to his shoulder and licked his cheek gaily. He turned to Izuko and smiled to her, who was starting to feel guilty. Abruptly, Izuko bowed to Hakkai and her voice trembled frightfully, wondering if the elders would scold her.  
  
"...Sumimasen !! I really didn't mean to distract you before!"  
  
Hakkai smiled again and stood up, making the girl lifted her head when suddenly...  
  
"...ITTAA!!!!!! What was that for??" she turned around and she saw the blonde monk held his harisen with veins throbbed out crazily. With that, Izuko completely understood that she had just been the next victim in the monk's 'harisen's prey list'.  
  
"...That's why I don't want a @#$%&@ girl like you to join us!! Kono baka yagi!!!!"  
  
"...I'm not a goat, baka Sanzo!! Ch, it still hurts..." Izuko clasped her head tight, making the bouzu started to get panicked. Hakkai and Gojyo rushed towards those two, and Gojyo was the one who made Sanzo mad even worse.  
  
"....Oi!! She's just a little girl, and you hit her like you really are a mental asylum patient!!"  
  
Sanzo cocked his shoreiju right on the kappa's head, clicking the trigger and was about to pull the hammer when Gojyo abruptly ducked on time, making the monk cursed and they started to fight again.  
  
Hakkai on the other hand was kneeling next to Izuko, worried. He saw Sanzo purposely hit her head 'smoother' than before, realising that she's a girl but Izuko was still moaning in pain as if Sanzo hit her too had. Hakkai tried to heal her head with his 'ki' but it didn't work.  
  
"...I'm fine, Hakkai-san. It's just....an old disease..." she hissed and tried to stand up, when then she failed to balance herself, making her fell helplessly on the ground.  
  
"...Izuko!! Izuko, daijoubu ka?? Izuko!!"  
  
Izuko tried to open her eyes, but as she did, she saw a pair of green eyes, staring fretfully at her. Then she saw another two figure at the back of the latter, then...  
  
...her eyes closed.  
  
"...Izukooo!!!!"  
  
'...Anou baka! Get up, Izuko, that boy's dying! This is not the time for you to get sick, GET UP!!!'  
  
'...But I can't... it hurts too much... too much... But, that boy...Go...ku.....'  
  
Izuko was fighting with herself, tried hard enough not to faint, and make things worse...  
  
... besides, she was determined to save Goku's life...  
  
...also, she knew well the boy had a big problem about the pendant thing.  
  
...And she knew she was the only one who could save him...  
  
...Who could save his soul...  
  
...From being swallowed eternally by the spirit within the pendant.  
  
'I must save him, no matter what the risks are...He's ONE of my kind.'  
  
...To be continued. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seiko: .....FINISHED! Well, actually not that this story's finished already! No way I'm going to give up writing! (^__^)  
  
Sanzo: {cocks shoreiju on Seiko's temple} ...You really are going to die today, onna.  
  
Gojyo: {holds shakujou next to Seiko's neck} ...You really are, baka onna narrator!  
  
Goku: ......????  
  
Seiko: {shivering in fear} wh...Why are you so mad?? I didn't do anything!  
  
Both: ...SHINEE!!!!!  
  
Hakkai: ...STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!!! {takes Seiko away}  
  
Others: {stunned} Hakkai??  
  
Seiko: {crying} Uuuu..... (T---T) I'm the writer, and still you want to kill me that bad? Uuuu.  
  
Sanzo: You deserved to die!  
  
Gojyo: Look what you've done?? Now girls laughed at me whenever I met them!! You made us humiliated in your baka fic!!! {swings shakujou crazily} SHIIINEEE!!!!  
  
Seiko: {runs away} Ahhh!!!!!  
  
Sanzo: {chases Seiko} OI!!! Come back here!!! {shoots shoreiju madly}  
  
Hakkai: ...Huh...Anyway, sorry if you are bored by this fic, and gomen also for inserting baka jokes that might get you annoyed. Seiko is just a beginner, though.  
  
Goku: ...Hara hetta....  
  
Hakkai: {ignores Goku} ...Seiko would like to apologize if the previous chaps are tooo long. She just couldn't help typing it all once she got started...  
  
Goku: ...Hara hetta...  
  
Hakkai: {ignores Goku again} ...And here are the Japanese words that might get you confused in the chap...  
  
Yagi - goat  
  
Kawaii namae desu ne - what a cute name  
  
Shitsurei - Excuse me  
  
Itan - heretic  
  
Hanyou - half youkai/ taboo  
  
Goku: ...Hara hetta....  
  
Hakkai: {ignores Goku again} ...If you have any question about the meanings, do ask! And please, review! (o___^) So that Seiko can improve her writings. Oh, and hakkai-san, Seiko would like to thank you for having reviewed her fic! She got a severe problem about the words in her previous chaps, but she had repaired all of them already. So, mind if you read them again? Hihihi...(o___^) Gomen nasai!  
  
Goku: .. {lies on the floor helplessly} {can't afford to say anything} {stomach grumbles loudly}  
  
Hakkai: GOKU??? Now what happened?  
  
Goku: .....Hara hetta..... {faints} {stomach grumbles again}  
  
Hakkai: ...Ee??? Why didn't you say so? Come, I'll cook for you, okay? (o__^)  
  
Goku: {sweat dropped} ...Anou na... I've said it before... WHATEVER!! Yaaaaaay!!! Dinner!!! (^___^) Ja, readers! Please review, onegai!  
  
Seiko: {panting} ...O....ne...ga....i...shi...ma......su..... {almost faint}  
  
Sanzo and Gojyo: ...HERE YOU ARE!!! SHI---------NEEE!!!!  
  
Seiko: ARKKK!!!! {runs again} ...Bye! See you in chap 5!! Warhhhh!!!!  
  
{{{endless story of Seiko}}} (T----T) 


	5. Chapter 05 The Spirit Within

Seiko: Hi there! We meet again! First of all, I want to thank all those people who kindly review my fic, honto ni, arigato gozaimashita! And for those who read, but didn't review, thank you, thank you, thank you!! ...And sorry if you found my fic were all quite TOO long!  
  
Hakkai: {pops out from nowhere} SOU!!! Do tell us if you hate those long conversations between us five, ne? (o___^) Seiko can delete them, can't you, Seiko-chan?  
  
Seiko: Hm!! But this story won't be funny anymore without us talking like mental problem patients... Don't you think so? ...ITTAAAAAA!!!!! It hurts, baka bouzu!!!  
  
Sanzo: {still thwacking} ...YOU-TALK-TOO-MUCH-BAKA-ONNA!!! Start the chap already, kyoujo (=madwoman)!!!!!  
  
Hakkai: ...Yameru kudasai, you two... how many times should I clean up all this mess??  
  
Seiko: ...Itte, itte, itte!!!! {pulls Sanzo's hair} I SAID STOP IT!!! My head's aching!!! Ouch!  
  
Sanzo: HANASEI!!!! Let go of my precious hair!! {pulls Seiko's ponytail}  
  
Seiko: Oiii!!! Let go of my hair!!! {reaches scissors} ...Before I cut yours for real!!!  
  
Sanzo: {lets Seiko go} ...Ch, you sure want to die early, onna!!! {takes out shoreiju} SHIINEEE!!!  
  
Seiko: ...{kicks Sanzo outside} Lame threat!! {coughs badly} Ch, baka cough! Anyway, let's begin with Chapter 5, ignore this blonde, he's being OOC lately...{locks door, leaves Sanzo outside} Serves him right! {coughs again}  
  
Sanzo(outside): OI!!!! Let me in!!! {kicks the door hard continuously}  
  
Seiko: ...STAY THERE!!! And don't let him in until tomorrow, onii-chan! That kechi (=stingy) !! {cough, cough, cough}  
  
Hakkai: ...Yare yare desu ne...(o___^())  
  
Seiko: ..This chap contained horrifying death scenes, so if you're afraid of blood and raw fresh flesh, don't read it.. Just wait for the next chap, but if you're brave enough...go on! Besides, I don't think it's too violent...I LOVE BLOOD!!! ...HaaaaaCHIIIIIII!!!!!!! {sniffs} (^--^) Hihihi... Also some curses, well, just a bit, though.  
  
Goku & Gojyo: ...kichigai onna(=crazy girl). {sweat dropped}  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT  
  
CHAPTER 5 - THE SPIRIT WITHIN  
  
From the last chapter...  
  
Izuko tried to open her eyes, but as she did, she saw a pair of green eyes, staring fretfully at her. Then she saw another two figure at the back of the latter, then...  
  
...her eyes closed.  
  
"...Izukooo!!!!"  
  
'...Anou baka! Get up, Izuko, that boy's dying! This is not the time for you to get sick, GET UP!!!'  
  
'...But I can't... it hurts too much... too much... But, that boy.... Go...ku....'  
  
Izuko was fighting with herself, tried hard enough not to faint, and make things worse...  
  
... besides, she was determined to save Goku's life...  
  
...also, she knew well the boy had a big problem about the pendant thing.  
  
...And she knew she was the only one who could save him...  
  
...Who could save his soul...  
  
...From being swallowed eternally by the spirit within the pendant.  
  
'I must save him, no matter what the risks are...He's ONE of my kind.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...Izuko? Izuko? Are you okay?"  
  
Izuko opened her eyes, and she found out that voice wasn't her brother's, but a crimson-eyed youkai with crimson hair as well, bending to her. She recognized that man, and slowly, she pushed herself to sit up, with Gojyo's helping hand.  
  
"...Koko wa...Doko?"  
  
Izuko rubbed her head slowly, her eyes went gazing around that place, a wooden hut. At the corner of the hut, there was a blonde man reading a newspaper with his reading glasses on.  
  
He glanced at her for a while, continued by a 'ch' like always and he read the newspaper over and over again.  
  
"...You fell unconscious, don't you remember?"  
  
Gojyo poured some water into a glass and handed it to Izuko, and the latter received it with a smile and nodded. After she sipped some of the water, she put the glass on the ground, at the same time, her eyes caught a motionless figure next to her.  
  
...It was Goku.  
  
"...Hakkai went out with Hakuryu, he's searching for firewood."  
  
Gojyo turned his gaze towards Goku, and his face showed clearly that he was concerned about that itan. The boy had been out cold for some time now, and he kept moaning slowly, as if he was having a bad nightmare, which he couldn't escape from it.  
  
Izuko nodded slowly and she abruptly touched Goku's forehead. She realised that the boy's fever had gone, as a sign that he was getting better. Gojyo looked straight into the girl's raven eyes, wondering something Hakkai told him before about this young lady.  
  
"...She's an itan, Gojyo. I just knew it." Hakkai told Gojyo once they reached the hut before.  
  
Gojyo's thoughts went around and around like a merry-go-round, searching for the exact meaning by Hakkai's short statement.  
  
'...He said that this girl's a heretic, like Goku? She has black eyes, not golden like this saru...'  
  
Realising that he was just wasting his time thinking about it, Gojyo sighed and lit up his cigarette.  
  
Izuko wiped Goku's sweat that assembled on his temple, followed by Sanzo's sharp stare towards those two. He had folded the newspaper and took off his glasses, paying his attentions to what would the girl do next.  
  
The female latter suddenly swayed away Goku's blanket a bit, and she flipped Goku's shirt, clasping the pendant around his neck without taking it off. She then grasped her own pendant, with her other hand was put right on Goku's pendant.  
  
Izuko closed her eyes, and her action really made the other two elders couldn't throw their gaze elsewhere but the girl.  
  
"...What are you doing?" Gojyo moved nearer next to Goku, while staring at Izuko, hoping for any answers. He kept asking Hakkai before about what to do with the saru, but Hakkai was totally speechless. So, it's all up to the girl to answer them.  
  
Izuko took about a while when then she opened her eyes slowly, looking at Goku with disbelief, but calmness was shown visibly on her face, at the same time making Gojyo cooled down a bit.  
  
So did Sanzo, who finally leaned himself against the wooden wall, as he hadn't relax himself a bit since they reached that hut, worrying about Goku.  
  
"...The spirit's still inside Goku."  
  
She turned to Gojyo, then Sanzo before all of a sudden Goku moaned again, painfully. Those three stared at him in fret, as the itan started to move aimlessly on the floor, as if he was forcing something to let him go.  
  
"...Can't you do something about it???" Sanzo voiced out his thoughts, as he moved closer to Gojyo and Izuko, hoping for any positive clarifications from the girl, obviously.  
  
His face showed enough worry, made Izuko changed her thoughts about the monk being too stingy to have any feelings at all. Well, she was wrong.  
  
"...There's only one thing to do... And you, being a monk, you should know it at the first place." She looked quite serious this time, leaving the monk asking himself whether he knew it or not.  
  
As a result, he shook his head slightly, even the kappa got confused by the girl's talk that he scratched his head over and over again.  
  
Izuko understood. She then continued with her previous plan...  
  
"...I'm going to summon the spirit out, again."  
  
"...again?? Kore o mae ni shita koto ga arimasu ka?? (=have you done this before??)"  
  
Gojyo asked the girl once more, and the monk beside him just kept staring at those two, speechless.  
  
She nodded, making her silver locks brushed vaguely on her cheeks.  
  
"...I've done it once, while you were fighting the youkais back then. But it ended up when the spirit refused to do what I said, and she almost choked me to death, remember?"  
  
Gojyo and Sanzo recalled the last incident, and they understood it quickly.  
  
Izuko clasped her own pendant, while closing her eyes tight and her other hand was placed neatly on Goku's chest, right on the pendant Goku picked up before.  
  
Not long after that, her pendant started to produce out bluish 'ki' beam that covered all over her self, together with Goku's frail body. The beam somehow made Izuko's surroundings gravity-zero, when her hair started to soar a bit, and Goku's blanket floated together, making the elders quite stunned.  
  
Those two elders couldn't do anything but they gawked at the scene surprisingly. Izuko chanted something under her breath when then the pendant Goku wore floated, shone in bright yellowish beam.  
  
"...I beg you, nameless spirit, reveal yourself!!"  
  
Right after Izuko shouted for her demand, a figure gradually showed itself in a smoke-like form. It was white, and it went out of the pendant ushered by sudden cold breeze blew its environs.  
  
Gojyo's locks swayed due to the chilly sudden wind, while Sanzo's robe floated, together with the sutra hang on his shoulders. They were stunned seeing the figure, that both Sanzo and Gojyo moved backwards and met the hut's wall.  
  
Not long after that, the smoky figure started to change itself to a human- like form! And they could tell that spirit was a female, due to the long hair the spirit had.  
  
Her eyes were both all-white, once she opened them slowly, facing Izuko. Her attire too, was pure white, and it almost gleamed when the spirit revealed herself entirely.  
  
The shounens were speechless. The spirit was floating in the air, with both her hands widened freely, and followed by the sudden breeze of before.  
  
Izuko opened her orbs once she felt like the spirit had obeyed her demand. She stared at the translucent woman in front of her, and she knew well, that was the same spirit she had summoned before back in the inn.  
  
The spirit stared Izuko back, and she suddenly straighten her hands down, forming a white beam in her palm.  
  
"...You again..." the spirit's voice echoed slightly in the small hut, followed by the humming sound of the soft wind blew throughout the place.  
  
"...Sou. I'm the one who summoned you before, Izuko desu."  
  
"...I've told you, I won't leave this body, until I accomplish my aspire!!"  
  
The spirit looked annoyed, that the wind, which was some sort of her power blew even harder, and it blew Izuko's long silver hair, making the girl abruptly held them hastily. But still, Izuko didn't get herself nervous. Instead, she faced the spirit with a sharp look.  
  
It surely made the other two amazed, when they were actually viewing such a young girl who had such courage to face that 'thing'.  
  
"...Leave this body. I order you to leave him alone!"  
  
"...No!!!" the wind blew even harder than before that Gojyo and Sanzo felt like running away when one of the hut's window shield broke and fell flat on the floor, almost hit the kappa's head.  
  
"...Naze(=why)? He's still a kid, an innocent kid who doesn't have anything to do with you."  
  
"...You might as well right about that, but I need this strong body to free my soul!"  
  
"Free your soul??"  
  
Everyone looked at the direction of the voice, right at the entrance. It was Hakkai, who got dumbfounded outside, some firewood fell from his arms while Hakuryu hid himself behind the door.  
  
The spirit grinned, her white lips showed it clearly enough that she was teasing the ikkou. But then, she turned back to Izuko, making the girl looked back at the figure, narrowing her eyes in rage and fury.  
  
"...You don't have to know about it."  
  
"Then, leave him if you don't want to tell us about it!"  
  
Izuko stood up, and her head almost reached the spirit's height. Her face was so near to that figure that the spirit smiled again, sarcastically.  
  
"...Fine."  
  
The spirit suddenly widened her arms, at the same time shining herself brightly, making the ikkou covered their eyes from it. They felt a sudden wind blew them abruptly in that very moment, and suddenly...  
  
...it stopped.  
  
The ikkou together with Izuko opened up their eyes, and they found out that they weren't in the hut, instead, they found themselves standing in the middle of a village, with a river flowed calmly near their standing position.  
  
The warm breeze hit their skin comfortingly, while the sound of the river flowing made them calmed and the chirps of some sparrows struck their ears softly.  
  
"...Watashi tachi wa doko desu ka? (Where are we?)"  
  
Hakkai looked around that place. They hadn't been in that place before, and it sure made the ikkou quiet shocked, excluding Izuko. She knew well that the spirit was trying to tell them her past...  
  
...that made her wanted Goku's body and mind so much.  
  
"...Koko wa watashi ga izen sunde ita tokoro desu. (=This is where I used to live)" the spirit suddenly appeared and voiced out.  
  
Gojyo and Sanzo too, was shocked by the sudden change of their surroundings and they gazed around that place, when then they heard someone.  
  
"...Ittai..." a woman around twenty was groaning in pain, while holding her stomach, and due to what the ikkou saw, the woman's pregnant. A man around her age was holding her tight, to support her from falling.  
  
From what they had seen, they were both youkais.  
  
They headed to a house, and the male latter shouted on the top of his voice.  
  
"...Sensei!! Sensei!! Help us.....!!"  
  
Suddenly an old man came out while holding a stick, and he was the doctor that man mentioned just then. The pair walked in, and abruptly, the scene around them changed. They were now in a room, and they saw the previous pair with their newborn baby girl.  
  
The ikkou were totally confused. Why would the spirit urge them to witness all this? What did she mean by these incidents?  
  
"...Kuso, why are we here actually??" Sanzo was getting impatient already.  
  
Gojyo too, felt the same that he felt like shouting to those people to quit playing things like this, when then he realised those were just illusions, a flashback of the spirit's past.  
  
"...That's me, holding the baby."  
  
That voice made the ikkou shocked and they turned at their back, when they saw the female spirit of before, standing straight over the ground by inches. No doubt, she was a ghost. She suddenly raised her hand and pointed right towards the pair...  
  
"...Watch, and you'll understand why."  
  
Right after she finished her last word, a sudden wind struck them all and again, the scenery changed to a forest at midnight, while the moon shone brightly up in the sky. The ikkou and Izuko looked at each other, rather perplexed by the scene.  
  
"...Now what???" Sanzo looked around, and he saw nothing, but he admitted he felt like something was going to happen.  
  
...Something bad, for sure.  
  
Then they heard it.  
  
"...ANATA!!!!!!!"  
  
It was a woman's voice, and those four found that the voice sounded somewhat familiar.  
  
"...That woman's voice!! The spirit's..." Izuko quickly turned back to the ikkou, and abruptly they heard a loud noise approaching, followed by that woman's scream.  
  
She sounded like she was in trouble, and then they saw it with their own eyes.  
  
There was a woman, hugging her child tight as if she was glued to her mother's chest and she was running hastily that she almost tripped and fell. Her clothes were all covered with blood, dark crimson blood. Not to mention her child's entire body from head to toe, were all enveloped by blood.  
  
"...Oi, onna!!! Nigeru nai!!! (=Don't run away!!) Come back here!!!" a man's voice was heard and when the woman passed the ikkou and ran towards deep inside the woods, a group of humans, all men, ran after her. They were all holding blades and axes, also, all covered with blood.  
  
They chased after the woman while shouting deafeningly, making the silent night became harsh, and tensed. The ikkou themselves felt quite worried about the woman of before that Gojyo hastily appeared his shakujou and ran towards the running men.  
  
The others were totally puzzled. But apparently, they were not going to let that kappa went alone, so they too ran after him.  
  
".What the hell is he doing??? It's just an illusion, and he's going to beat them up???"  
  
Sanzo couldn't help himself cursing Gojyo, but he too felt rather shocked about what had just happened in front of his eyes. Hakkai and Izuko were both speechless, not knowing what to do with it.  
  
Then, they reached the place.  
  
...The place that made them most petrified with what had happened that time.  
  
They saw the previous woman was leaning against a tree trunk, her legs and her head were bleeding hard, and she looked as if she was hit by something and the men caught her already.  
  
But still, the child in her hug didn't get separated. The kid was weeping silently in her mother's embrace and the woman didn't throw her gaze elsewhere, but staring frightfully in deep fear at the men.  
  
Those humans somehow didn't look like humans, instead, they looked so much like assassins trying to kill their victim without any mercy. They were all giggling with such hentai way, that Izuko felt like killing them all that time.  
  
But realising they were just delusions, she halted and stepped back right beside Hakkai.  
  
The men laughed together, right when the woman moaned and groaned in pain due to what happened to her wounded parts of body. The ikkou somehow realised that the men threw stones towards her, which made her head hemorrhaged and tripped over, making her fell on the ground.  
  
Gojyo was there, watching the scene fretfully and he was about to slash those men when Izuko reached his arm, shaking her head slowly.  
  
"...It's just an illusion, Gojyo-san. Don't get involved in it. The spirit's trying to tell us about this, and we're here only to witness it with our own eyes."  
  
Gojyo stared at Izuko's face for a while when then...  
  
The humans went nearer to the woman and her child, making the mother trembled in terror and she hugged her child even tighter, at the same time the kid cried loudly. Her wails somehow annoyed the humans, when then the leader of the group did it.  
  
The man frowned and abruptly grabbed the kid's head harshly, making the woman pulled back her daughter and kicked the man's leg hard, leaving him moaned in twinge. He got even more irritated that he lifted his leg and...  
  
"...Iyaaaa!!!!!!"  
  
Izuko screamed and squatted on the ground, but instead of the ikkou, the humans couldn't hear her cries. She was grabbing her head tight, as if it was going to burst out all its contents.  
  
...the man kicked hard the woman's face, simultaneously making her fell and her face met the ground, while the child went away from her hug. She groaned again and was about to grab back her crying daughter when suddenly she realised the man of before grinned devilishly towards her, and he was lifting the poor child by grabbing her head up.  
  
"...Yumi!!!!! Give me back my daughter, please...I beg you, please..."  
  
The woman's crying, while crawling heading towards the man, and she hugged the man's leg, pleading the man to let go of her daughter. The kid was wailing and crying even louder and anyone would feel sympathized once they heard the kid's wail.  
  
She kept on crying helplessly together with the men's annoying laugh when then, the previous man swung his leg towards that woman again, making her sent back to the tree trunk. She hit the tree hard, and she almost fainted when abruptly, she heard her daughter's cry got even worse.  
  
She looked at the man again, when then she saw he was now punching her daughter repeatedly, trailed by the other men's laugh. The woman snapped her eyes wide opened seeing her daughter being tortured like that.  
  
".... Shut up, you dirty kid!!! Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!!!"  
  
He was still punching the girl cruelly, until she spat out a lot of blood. But still, she didn't let herself to stop her crying. Instead, she went on like that, when unexpectedly...  
  
"...ARGHHH!!!! DAMARE!!!"  
  
The man without warning lifted the kid even higher, and took out his blade inside his coat, and then...  
  
"YUMIIIII!!!!!!!!"  
  
Blood...  
  
Blood...  
  
Blood everywhere.  
  
The other men watched in fright, but they couldn't do anything about it. It was their own leader who killed her. Once they betrayed, they would be killed also.  
  
There, a death had occurred...  
  
...The kid of before had died in such a sadist way. She was incised to two, and both her sides fell aimlessly on the ground, and still her orbs were both wide-opened. Her blood gushed out frantically and the man was showered by her blood, making the mother broadened her eyes in fume.  
  
The ikkou couldn't stand the sudden thing happened that they turned away, while Sanzo clinched his tooth in fury, and he wished that he was there that time and shot the humans dead.  
  
So did the other shounens thought, while Izuko, she was weeping, not daring to see what happened just then and Hakkai hurriedly reached her and hugged her tight, trying to calm down the girl. She was still a young teenager, though.  
  
"...Yumii!!!!!" the woman suddenly had the strength to stand up and she surprisingly punched the man right inside his stomach, making the man bent and let out a loud groan.  
  
The woman rushed towards her daughter and hugged her while wailing loudly over the kid's death. She was too young to die, but this human killed her mercilessly. She kept on crying and all of a sudden...  
  
"...You... DIE!!!!!!"  
  
The woman was about to lift her head when then another powerful blow made her flew backwards right into the bushes. The man was burning hot with anger since the woman had hit him hard before, and he suddenly moved forward and faced the frail helpless woman lying on the ground holding the pain.  
  
The other men watched without any words came out from their mouth, when their leader lifted his blade once again towards the woman and...  
  
"ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
...Her head almost separated with her body and she was bathing with dark blood.  
  
The woman's head fell first, before her body fell hard on the ground, making the ikkou even more shocked.  
  
"...Not yet!!! You @#$%&@ onnaaaa!!!!! You must suffer more than THISSS!!!!!"  
  
The man once again lifted his blade and knelt abruptly on the ground and stabbed the headless woman mercilessly over and over again, splashing a huge amount of blood all over that man's face, and his whole body was covered with her blood. He laughed like he was gone crazy already.  
  
The loud wailings of the woman had already disappeared, and what was left was...  
  
"...SHINEE!!!! You're not going to live anymore!!! Hahahahaha!!!!"  
  
The man kept on stabbing the woman's body like he was gone extremely mad, mercilessly bashing the corpse with his blade when then his men came towards him and grabbed him away, leaving the corpse there...  
  
...And it didn't look like a human anymore, not even a dead one.  
  
...But a bunch of fresh bleeding flesh that had just been chopped altogether, leaving...  
  
... A shining pendant.  
  
The ikkou couldn't afford to watch it anymore, that they surely felt like killing those men right away. Sanzo unexpectedly lifted his gun and shot a lot of bullets out of it, making the ikkou a bit shocked. But they were totally understood why he did that.  
  
The bullets somehow didn't affect the men, instead, they passed through the men without even a single wound hit them all, making Sanzo cursed deeply in his heart. Izuko was now trembling hard in Hakkai's arms when suddenly they saw the man picked up that ornament.  
  
He sank his hand into the fresh flesh, and his men couldn't help themselves feeling disgusted by his act that they started to feel like vomiting, plus the rotten smell of blood and putrid fleshy tissue struck their nose abruptly as soon as their leader got that thing...  
  
"...That pendant...It's that spirit's pendant!" Hakkai voiced out all his thoughts.  
  
The others admitted, and they suddenly knew why the woman got chased and all that. Just because of that pendant.  
  
'...Doshite?? Why do I have to watch all these things again?? I hate it!!!!'  
  
Izuko encouraged herself to open up her eyes, and what she saw was the actual scene of the wooden hut of before, and there she was still in Hakkai's hug, when he suddenly let her go after he too realised...  
  
....They were back to reality.  
  
There in the hut, everything was normal. Not even a trickle of blood, like what they had just saw back then, bloods everywhere. Goku was lying on the ground frailly, still motionless and the pendant around his neck was still shining bright.  
  
"Izuko, daijoubu desu ka??" Hakkai caressed the girl's head caringly, making her stopped crying.  
  
Sanzo was too shocked to care about other things around him that time, his mind kept on recalling those blood scenes before in his dark past, when Oshio-sama got slaughtered. His eyes were still like that, opened wide. He tried to control his feelings, but he just couldn't. All of a sudden, Sanzo squatted on the ground, holding his head tight.  
  
Gojyo beside him was even more terrified but he just let himself leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ground. He was sweating all over, he felt like those incidents had just happened a while ago for real, not an illusion since it looked so bona fide to him.  
  
Izuko watched the elders, and she herself just couldn't deny her own feelings. She too, had a very dark past, and surely she was petrified if that incident happened again. But one thing made Izuko a bit confused when she saw Hakkai was still been able to smile at her, frailly.  
  
Her gaze went to the boy on the ground, and she hastily went to Goku, placing her palms over the glowing pendant. Abruptly, the spirit of before appeared again. Right in the middle of the hut, lowering her head, and she looked so pitiful that none of the shounens or Izuko felt like scolding her anymore.  
  
"...So, now you know, what had happened to me."  
  
Izuko turned back, and she pushed herself up, walking towards the translucent woman. She placed her palm under the spirit's chin, and softly held it up. Making the all-white orbs faced her straight in her raven eyes.  
  
"...I understand it now." She smiled to the spirit sweetly, before she stepped back and held her pendant for a while. Thinking something that the elders didn't know about it at all.  
  
"...But, still, I just want to know why do you want this boy so much?"  
  
"..To take revenge."  
  
Izuko faded her smile and her expression became serious once more, making the spirit waited hard for her reply.  
  
"...Don't you know? Even if you use this boy's body, you will never win over that beast."  
  
"What do you mean? He's a strong person, and I could feel his strong self once I went into his mind"  
  
"...He's strong, all right. Demo, anata ga yowai desu!! (=But you're weak!!)"  
  
The sudden statement Izuko just gave to that spirit perplexed those boys. They looked at each other, not knowing what was in her mind that very time. They gawked at Izuko, and they saw the spirit frowned.  
  
"...What the hell are you saying???" the spirit got mad suddenly.  
  
Izuko let out a sigh before she placed two fingers on the spirit's temple, forming a bluish 'ki' energy, which abruptly made the spirit puzzled. So did the ikkou. She chanted something under her breath again, and it made the spirit felt rather...  
  
...relieved and her mind became calmed all of a sudden.  
  
Izuko did it on purpose, so that the spirit would be prepared to hear the next fact.  
  
"...You've misunderstood one thing. Even if the person is the greatest fighter in the whole wide world, when a weak spirit takes over his mind and soul, he'll become as weak as the spirit. But if the spirit's strong, but the person who got possessed is weak, then the person will become as strong as the spirit inside him."  
  
The others were all totally understood by her explanations, and the spirit felt quite disappointed. She floated back, staring at the ground blankly, while her head kept on reminding those incidents 10 years ago.  
  
"...Masaka..."  
  
"..But I do know, if you leave Goku's body by force, then his soul will get damaged too. He might as well...die"  
  
The last word really made the ikkou more than shocked. Sanzo was the most traumatized person that time when he learnt that his one and only person who treated him like a father was going to...  
  
...die.  
  
"...Demo, I've got an idea, for both of your benefits."  
  
The spirit halted and stared at the shiraga (=gray-haired) girl in front of her. She sure was glad if there was an alternative to just pay back her revenge...  
  
...For her daughter's sake.  
  
Izuko smiled once more, hugging herself and made the others felt rather perplexed. She had always played with other peoples' minds, but for sure, she brought them to better profits, calmness. Just as calm as her looks.  
  
"...Stay with us." She smiled again.  
  
....tsuzuku (=to be continued)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seiko: {yawns} Ahh, finished another VERY IMPORTANT chapter!! Omedetou to myself! Hehehe...(^--^) Onii-chan!  
  
Hakkai: {sleeps already} ...  
  
Seiko: {chuckles} ..No doubt! {cough, cough, cough} He's been with me since morning! {yawns again} ...Ahhhhh!!!!! Sanzo!!!! Forgot! {hurriedly goes out}  
  
Sanzo: {sitting on the floor, with a paper bag beside} {snores quietly}...  
  
Seiko: {chuckles} Kawaii ne, baka bouzu? Eh, what's this? {opens the paper bag} Hmmm? Korewa...coughing tablets?? Flu medicines?? {coughs even badly, making Sanzo awakes}  
  
Sanzo: {stands up}...Finished typing?  
  
Seiko: {looks unbelievably at the things}...Sanzo? You had a fever? Are you sick? {cough, cough, cough}  
  
Sanzo: {sweat dropped} ...Anou na, it's YOU who's sick, not me. Baka. {goes in}  
  
Seiko: {grabs Sanzo's hair} Oi, matte.  
  
Sanzo: {veins throb out, takes harisen out} ...KONO...  
  
Seiko: {kisses Sanzo's cheek} ...Sankyu! (^-^)  
  
Sanzo: {blushes, paralysed by the kiss} ...  
  
Seiko: {sweat dropped}...Oi!! Stop dreaming already! That's just my way to thank people! Ch, perasan. Anyway, thanks for reading!! I've finished the first chap of my 2nd fic, 'Hakkai's Sick???'!! It's a humorous one! Do give me some supports, okay?  
  
Gojyo & Goku: {hide at the back of sofa} {giggles}  
  
Gojyo: ...How lucky of him!!! Ch, I want one too...  
  
Seiko: ...{grins devilishly} You want one of what?? Hentai ero gokiburi kappa??  
  
Goku: {runs into room} Oyasumi!!! {sleeps}  
  
Hakkai: {still sleeping, how cute, my onii-chan, ne?}  
  
Sanzo: {blushes severely and goes back to his room}  
  
Gojyo: ...I ...I actually didn't mean to peek on you two, but then you kissed him, and I... ITTAIIIIII!!!!!! {birds flying over head}  
  
Seiko: {just smacked Gojyo's head with TV's remote controller} {coughs} GO TO SLEEEPP!!! NOW!!!!  
  
Gojyo: {sleeps on the floor} Krooooaaaaarrrhhhhhhhh....  
  
Seiko: (^--^()()()()()) This kappa...Btw, please don't get jealous, Sanzo's fanatic fans!! It's just a baka fake scene, okay? No way I'm going to kiss any boy in reality! NEVER!!! Okay then, see you again and do review, ne? I'll be waiting for your responses! {cough, cough, cough, cough..} Ahhhh!!! {went amok in the room}  
  
Sanzo: {sweat dropped} Dear readers, if you have any tips on how to get rid of her yarou coughs, do tell her. It's been a month, and still...  
  
Seiko: ARHHHHH!!!! Baka yarou coughs!!! Get away from me!!! {coughs even harder}  
  
Sanzo: ....like that. Huh...{sleeps}  
  
Seiko: Ahhh!!!! Before I forget...  
  
Ami the 13th----- TQ!!! For liking my fic!!! Honto ni arigatou gozaimasu!! Oh, and yes,I do like Goku, but NOT as much as that bouzu next door!! (^-- ^) Hihihi...Keep in touch with 'Mischievous Spirit'!!  
  
Gozilla-----Thank you too, for having reviewed MS so far! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! {cries} Uuuu.I'm touched with you all...(T----T)  
  
Oh! And I'VE SUCCEEDED IN DRAWING IZUKO'S KAWAII FACE!! Do tell me if you want it okay? I'll send you straightforwardly via personal e-mail! Ja!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Next chapters : Might as well includes Goku and Izuko's slight love story. And Izuko's past will be revealed, too! So, keep in touch!!! Onegai, and TQ!!!!  
  
To all readers: Seiko planned to insert several Japanese daily conversations, to response to what our late PM had just told ...to learn other languages as well as English and other Asian's language. Dakara, please support her! (^--^) She loves the PM too much, I guess.  
  
Seiko: {still crying} Honto!!! Uuuuuu....I'm gonna miss him for real!! {coughs} Arhhhh!!!!  
  
~~~thanks all readers 4 ur support!! Luv ya all!!!~~~ 


	6. Chapter 06 The Beginning Of Life

Seiko: {weeps} {weeps} {weeps} {weeps}…(T-T)

Sanzo: {sniffs} Oi, what happened to your kuso yarou sister all of a sudden???

Hakkai: {chuckles nervously} Shirimasen (=I don't know), Sanzo…

Seiko: {cries} {cries} {cries}…(T---T)

Sanzo: {veins all throb out, annoyed} OIII!!!! STOP CRYING LIKE THAT DAMNED USAGI TSUKINO ALREADY!!!

Hakkai: {chuckles}…Yare yare desu ne…

Goku: {pops out suddenly} I know, I know!!!

Others: WHAT?

Goku: She's disappointed with her own work!

Gojyo: No more reviews, ne?…So, who's gonna disclaim for her?

Others: {run away}

Seiko: {looks at Gojyo} {weeps, weeps, weeeeeps} {sparkling puppy eyes} (T----T)

Gojyo: {sweatdropped} OI!!! Cut it out already!!!

Seiko: {still crying} {weeps, weeps, weeps, weeps, weeps} (T-T)

Others: {death glare Gojyo}

Gojyo:{sweat dropped} Okay, okay!!! Seiko doesn't own Saiyuki, got it? Well, except for the OC, Izuko, and the storyline, then everything in this Saiyuki thing is Minekura Kazuya's property! Satisfied???

Seiko: {nods, nods, nods} {bows} {smiles, smiles, smiles} {ruffles Gojyo's hair} (^----^)

Gojyo: {blushes, blushes, blushes}

Sanzo: {veins all throb out} …That kapppaaa…{takes out harisen} {smacks, smacks, smacks kappa's and baka writer's head out cold}

Gojyo: {fainted already}

Seiko: {shaking hard on the floor} {reaches computer} {starts typing} {cries} (T-T)

Goku: ALERT!!! Baka humors EVERYWHERE!!! Obviously, NO yaoi/shounens-ai/lime. AND DON'T EVEN EXPECT SEIKO WOULD WRITE YAOI/SHOUNENS-AI/LIME fic!!!

Together: NOT even a single fic about it in Seiko's life!!!

Seiko: {sweat dropped} {takes Genma Saotome's board} {writes, writes, writes} (=I was planning to insert Goku and the Izuko love story in the future. No lime scenes though. Just pure, clean love story!! Nevertheless, they're still teenagers!} (^--^)

Goku: {blushes} Hihihi…Me? In love?? WEIIIRDDDD!!!

Sanzo: {sniffs, sniffs, sniffs} Aaaa, and please use your imaginations to imagine the events happened in this baka kuso yarou fic. Otherwise, you'll doze off in front of your computers. CH, do I have to explain that, baka {sniffs} yarou {sniffs} sick {sniffs} Onnaaa???? {sneezes} ACHOOO!!!

Others: …Look who's talking. {sigh}

Hakkai: {sweatdropped} Okay, continue with Chapter 6, ENJOY, and please R & R!! (o__^)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT **

**Chapter 6 – THE BEGINNING OF LIFE**

**_………from the last chapter………_**

"…You've misunderstood one thing. Even if the person is the greatest fighter in the whole wide world, when a weak spirit takes over his mind and soul, he'll become as weak as the spirit. But if the spirit's strong, but the person who got possessed is weak, then the person will become as strong as the spirit inside him."  
  
The others were all totally understood by her explanations, and the spirit felt quite disappointed. She floated back, staring at the ground blankly, while her head kept on reminding those incidents 10 years ago.  
  
"…Masaka…"  
  
"…...But I do know, if you leave Goku's body by force, then his soul will get damaged too. He might as well…die"  
  
The last word really made the ikkou more than shocked. Sanzo was the most traumatized person that time when he learnt that his one and only person who treated him like a father was going to...  
  
...die.  
  
"...Demo, I've got an idea, for both of your benefits."  
  
The spirit halted and stared at the shiraga (=gray-haired) girl in front of her. She sure was glad if there was an alternative to just pay back her revenge…  
  
…For her daughter's sake.  
  
Izuko smiled once more, hugging herself and made the others felt rather perplexed. She had always played with other peoples' minds, but for sure, she brought them to better profits, calmness. Just as calm as her looks.  
  
"...Stay with us." She smiled again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The last sentence went out of Izuko's lips clearly and it made those men and the spirit itself surprised. The ikkou had never thought about it before, since they were just thinking on how to get rid of the spirit...

…NOT to take it with them during their journey.

Izuko realised the ikkou were astonished, and she hurriedly explained why she said that, before Sanzo's harisen meet her head mercilessly later on.

"…I know this sounds weird, but Goku will die once you leave him, am I right?"

The spirit nodded, agreed with her clarifications.

The smile on Izuko's face didn't fade away, moreover she continued while walking nearer towards the lucent female spirit.

"… I heard that once the spirit inside the possessed one completed its task, in your case, to free your soul, then you'll leave that body without harming him, ne?" 

The spirit gawked at the silver-haired girl without even a single word uttered. She somehow started to comprehend what Izuko meant by telling her to stay with the ikkou.

"…Saa, we'll help you to get your wish done, and you'll help us with Goku's substances."

…Silent.

'…I can't let that Goku die. He's the only one who warmed my cold heart ever since before, my little brother, my son! I can't afford to lose him. But then, these baka yarou onnas will wreck my whole entire life!'

Sanzo was struggling hard with his ego and his self-esteemed mind, whether to let the spirit and the girl be with them for somewhat a long time or just allow Goku to die, due to what would happened once the spirit went out by force.

He kept on thinking, and stared at Goku at the same time. His lips were shut, no way he was going to let out his own true feelings to those people around him.

But Gojyo and Hakkai shared the same thoughts. They were both approved with Izuko's suggestion, to let the spirit 'live' inside Goku until the problem got solved. Alas, one thing they afraid most, what if the spirit betrayed them, and Goku would still be like that? Likewise, what if…

…The spirit killed Goku?

Izuko waited tolerantly for the spirit's respond, and she admitted that she too felt rather worried about that spirit. She looked suspicious, being a spirit that was spellbound inside the sacred pendant since 10 years ago.

She might as well left Goku abruptly and simultaneously damaged the itan's soul. But then she realised something that made her believed in that cursed soul, based on her own past

…Her OWN self.

"…Saa, dou omoimasu ka? (=well, what do you think?)"

The spirit lifted her face, facing Izuko who was still curling her soothing tranquil serenity smile. She gaped at the young girl, and then she threw her gaze to the other three worried shounens behind. She had no other options, and she knew that was the only way to free her soul from the pendant's curse.

"…Sansei desu. (=agreed)"

Izuko was satisfied, and she gleefully beamed her smile again, making the spirit felt quite amused with it that she too, for the first time…

…smiled back.

"Oh, and where will we find that man who…" Hakkai couldn't finish his talk when the spirit raised her hand up and pointed to Goku.

"…I'll tell you, through that boy. He'll know all about that man automatically, I'll tell you while I'm still in his body. Just remember, go to the Northwest and I'll inform you when you reached the exact place."

"…Great! I'm most glad that you're agreed with it. Arigatou!"

Izuko bowed slightly, before the spirit approached her and out of the blues, lifted her hand, and held Izuko's pendant. Her act really made Izuko and the shounens a bit bewildered when the spirit chortled quietly.

"…This pendant, that's why you know everything about this matter, am I right?"

Hakkai watched those two, and he was attracted to what the spirit just said to that mysterious girl. About her own pendant, and everything she knew about 'that matter'.

'…What matter? Goku's matter or…' Hakkai halted.

The spirit looked exactly into Izuko's eyes, and smiled again before she suddenly landed a frosty kiss on Izuko's brow smoothly, making the others watched in perplexity. Izuko blushed slightly, she had not been kissed like that since two years ago…

So motherly-like…

The girl could feel the hand of the translucent spirit touching her head, some sort of cold feeling flowed through her whole body.

"…If only my daughter's still alive, she would be around your age, well maybe younger…"

Without expectations, tears started to assemble in Izuko's eyes and the spirit flew towards Goku, slowly went inside the pendant around his neck once more. Suddenly the gleaming beam disappeared along with the spirit, making the hut looked rather gloomy once more.

Sanzo ended his feelings with curses, but no one implicit on what was he mumbling about. Gojyo started to ease a bit, and he lit his cigarette while laying his butt on the ground hard along with a relieved sigh.

Hakkai smiled after those things happened, and he walked towards Izuko who was still standing there, facing the empty wall. He admitted this girl had done so much just to save Goku that she deserved to be treated nicely.

She looked quite dumbfounded when then Hakkai patted her shoulder, making her turned her face around, and she saw two emerald eyes looked at her in somewhat a sympathized expression. Abruptly, her tears started to roll down her white cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away before the elder asked her why.

"…Daijoubu ka, Izuko?"

"…Ee, dai…daijoubu Hakkai-san."

Hakkai knew this girl was hiding something from them, otherwise, she would never cried several times before, especially when someone got hurt…

…or killed.

'I wonder what is she hiding from us…' Hakkai gave way to the young lass.

Izuko walked towards Sanzo and Gojyo who were both feeling rather comforted and pleased when the spirit didn't make Goku's state even shoddier. Her sudden appearance made those two perplexed and stared at her surprisingly.

"I guess I've done what I should do. Do take care of Goku, and the spirit as what we've promised…"

The elders were silent. They were surprised by the girl's talk, as if she was going to leave them afterwards. Izuko continued while looking at the cursing monk sitting with one knee went up on the ground.

"…Sanzo-sama, I'm sorry if I disturbed you before, gomen nasai."

The other elders felt even more puzzled when she all of a sudden bowed and apologized to Sanzo, and the blonde shut his mouth up from cursing and stared at the girl in disbelief. She looked at the blonde before she walked towards Hakkai, smiling again.

"…And Hakkai-san. Well, I must admit I prefer calling you onii-san, and since I'm leaving will you please take good care of those two?"

Apparently, Izuko was talking about the spirit and Goku. The 'stingy onii-san' and the 'hentai onii-san' could surely take GREAT care of themselves. Hakkai faded away his smile, and stared shockingly at the silver-haired girl in front.

"You…you're not going to leave us like this, aren't you??" Hakkai sounded rather tensed despite of his calmed expression just before.

The girl was shocked that she wrenched back a bit from Hakkai and halted when suddenly she felt something hard was placed right at the back of her head, and she heard a clicking sound from behind. She turned around and she found out that Sanzo cocked his shoreiju right towards her and it almost touched her temple right when she turned back.

The other two sweat dropped along with the girl when they saw Sanzo was about to shoot his shoreiju when then…

'BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!'

"…Chikusho! I missed!!!"

Thankfully, Izuko ducked just in time when three shining bullets almost got buried right inside her skull just then. Not to mention how shocked Hakkai was when the bullets almost hit him too! The Sanzo somehow didn't show any satisfaction when he shoved out his beloved almighty harisen and…

'THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!'

"…Itte…It hurts, Genjo Sanzo!!! Why did you do that??"

"…URUSAI, BAKA ONNA!!!"

He was about to hit her head out cold with his 'finishing touch', when Hakkai and Gojyo grabbed him back, making him struggled so hard and left Izuko squatting on the ground. Sanzo cursed and cursed and cursed as if he was gone mad already when abruptly Izuko stood up, walking towards Goku while those three had not finished with their 'thrashing each other's head' session yet.

Izuko knelt right next to the itan while embracing the pendant Goku wore inside her smooth white palm. She stared at it for a while, and then her gaze went to Goku's naïve looking face. Even though he was unconscious, Izuko could predict that that gaki there was such a youthful adorable boy. Otherwise, those elders wouldn't love him that much.

'…Sumimasen, I have to let you live with this spirit. I've got no other choice, or else, you'll die. I don't want you to give up your life just like the others…You're the same kind as me. Dakara, gomen.'

Goku moaned again, but this time it sounded as if he heard the girl's thoughts, and he responded to it. Izuko smiled frailly, and touched the itan's forehead smoothly before she stood up once again and went towards the door.

She was actually wanting to say goodbye to those shounens, but then she realised Sanzo-sama would shoot her dead, Hakkai would plead and make such kawaii puppy eyes to her, while the hanyou would start talking nonsense about any 'dates before leaving' thing.

Thinking about those things made her shivered and she tiptoed passed them.

But unfortunately, she was wrong about them enjoying themselves arguing all night long and started to ignore her. Well, Gojyo and Hakkai let the bouzu free and they hurriedly ran hilariously towards the door and closed it tight, locking it from inside.

They leaned against it and they looked like as if they were preventing Izuko from going out. Gojyo with his usual cynical hentai smile, as well as Hakkai who started to chant his 'yare yare desu ne' line.

The monk, well, he cocked his shoreiju once more and placed it right on the girl's temple, making her trembled severely while counting the uncountable veins which popped out all over his head, not leaving any empty space. His flaxen eyebrows almost met each other due to the frowning and Izuko could hear him clinching his teeth clearly, making her sweat dropped madly.

"…WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING??? BAKA YAGI @#$%&@ ONNAAA?????"

Hearing those dirty words made Izuko's head almost burst out and exploded, and then she unexpectedly stood up and appeared her shining azure sword. She pointed the sword right towards Sanzo together with a death-promising glare set right at that bouzu, not to mention her temple was decorated with 'beautiful' blue veins throbbing everywhere here and there.

"…WHAT DID YOU SAY, KONO BAKA KECHI KICHIGAI YAROU MANUKE YAKKAIMONO BAKAMITAI IJIWARU JAAKU BOUZUUUUU!!!!!"

……………

The elders were all sweat dropped and stunned to death, witnessing such a sweet looking girl to curse even fouler words than the kinpatsu (=blond) bouzu. Even Sanzo was speechless, his jaw dropped that it almost reached his waistband, and abruptly his shoreiju fell and met the ground.

He sure was surprised, and dumbfounded by the girl's talk that he couldn't afford to fight back. His brains admitted that the girl was so much stingier than him. (^--^())

"…Maa, maa Izuko…" Hakkai approached those two when he saw Sanzo got struck back to reality and 'summoned' his almighty notorious harisen out of his oversized sleeve. The emerald-eyed youkai stood in front of the lass and shook his hands frantically, joined with a nervous giggle formed comically right on his stunning face.

"…Go away Hakkai-san, before I cut your head together with this big-mouth bouzu!!!"

Sanzo couldn't stand it anymore that he abruptly lifted his sugoku (=almighty) harisen, pushing Hakkai hard aside and…

"…Oh, no you won't!!!"

Izuko swung her sword skillfully and guess what she had just cut to half??

"…Argh!!! My harisennnn…!!"

"…Aaaaaaaaaa!!" Gojyo yelled loudly with such joyful tone when he saw Sanzo's harisen got incised, and he approached Izuko before he hugged her tight in his arms, jumping like the real saru, well, more REALISTIC saru, unbelievably. He sure was feeling grateful, don't think so? 

Hakkai and Sanzo sweatdropped, and they could see the young lady was blushing severely plus her head started to produce even more blue coloured veins decorating her temple underneath her silver locks.

The brunette and the blonde stepped back hastily and opened the door as quick as they could, running away from the hut, as they could clearly predict what would the girl do to that hentai erotic kappa inside.

Then…

"…ARGHHHH!!!!!!! LET GO OF ME KONO HENTAI BAKA KUSO YAROU BAKAMITAI YAKKAIMONO IJIWARU ERO GOKIBURI HARASSER KAPPA!!!!"

"…AAAaAAAaAaaAAaaaaAaaRRRGGGgggGGghhHHhhHhHH!!!!!"

Those two outside that time made a note to themselves, 'Never Mess Up Things With Izuko' right permanently in their brains, and they must admit, they felt rather satisfied when the hentai kappa got tortured like that, it was just that they had never expect A SIMPLE YOUNG GIRL almost around Goku's age was the one who would teach that kappa how to behave himself.

"…Yare yare desu ne…kawaisou ne, anou Gojyo? (=How pitiful, that Gojyo)

"…Ch, jigou jitoku da zo!!! (=serves him right) Who told him to act hentai towards that crazy onna??"

Inside the hut, Izuko was still tormenting the erotic kappa with all her might, and she used her fists quite a lot on the kappa's head, but still his head was too hard that it would never got dented easily.

But as a result, Izuko's hand started to swell and not to mention that kappa's head and face were now filled with numerous uncountable lumps, and he looked so much like a water monster who got stung by a bunch of horrible killer bees and had not enough time to jump into any water source (where he came from) just to get away from the insects!

"…Ahhhhh!!!! Stop touching me all over kono bakamitai hentai otoko!!! (=twit perverted man)"

"…Ahhhh!!!! Spare my life, Izuko! Ow! Ow! Owwww!!!! ITAI DA ZO!!!! STOP it already!!!"

"NEVER!!!!"

Izuko kept on beating that pitiful kappa up on the ground, when then the water monster got impatient and stood up all of a sudden and started to run away in order to save his life. He pushed himself up, and ran all over the hut making that small place somehow shook vaguely due to that cat and mouse a.k.a cat and dog chasing period.

Alas, Izuko kept on kicking the kappa's butt, and ran after him swinging her sword crazily.

But then, Gojyo accidentally bumped into Izuko that made her fell helplessly on…

"…ITAI !!!!!!!!!! GET OFF ME YOU…"

…it stopped abruptly.

They were both shocked by that voice.

Gojyo halted running all over the place while Izuko was sweat dropping so hard when she found that she was ON Goku by any chance, that her nose almost touched the itan's making Goku halted his last word, and they were both blushing severely and stunned.

…Raven met Golden.

Thankfully Izuko gained her balance before, or else she would have kissed that itan if she hadn't.

Gojyo on the other side was damned astonished about what had just happened, but being an erotic perverted kappa who loved to interfere in other people's matter, ESPECIALLY this kind of stuff, he beamed his annoying smile on his swollen hilarious face and started teasing the kids.

"…So, since when you two started this SPECIAL bond between you two, huh?" trailed with a loud funny-sounded laugh just like how Kodachi laughed, and that made both Hakkai and Sanzo outside thought the kappa had gone crazy due to the blasts Izuko gave 'free-of-charge' before.

"BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

"…What happened to that baka kappa already???" Sanzo walked towards the hut together with Hakkai beside him.

"…I've no idea, Sanzo!" Hakkai chuckled nervously.

Izuko realised she was actually making the saru under her felt rather uncomfortable, that she hastily stood up and blushed so hard that her face became all blood-red. Not to mention Goku's golden orbs went wide opened staring in disbelief at the girl, he was blushing too, no wonder.

Izuko bowed to Goku and apologized before she took the window shield that had just broken before and rushed to the laughing-like-mental asylum-patient (imagine that) kappa…

"…DAMARE!!!!!!!! KONO HENTAI KAPPA!!!!"

"…ARGHHHHH!!!!!" and he fainted helplessly on the ground, with his face was still beaming a WIIIIDE smirk, kissing the ground like an out cold clown, who died caused by the baka jokes he made himself. Well, not that the kappa had died, mind you readers.

Izuko was panting hard, trying to control her rage and tried with all her might not to kill that kappa already, plus she was still blushing due to what happened before with Goku.

"…Yare yare desu ne…"

Hakkai suddenly poked his head in and felt quite amused when he saw Gojyo like that, it sure made him laughed if Sanzo wasn't there! But suddenly, his eyes caught something tremendous…

"…GOKU!!! You're awake!!"

Hakkai was about to reach Goku who was still sitting on the ground, staring fretfully at Gojyo, and he sure looked like he didn't know anything about the incidents before. He then looked at Hakkai and question marks popped out of his head, puzzled about Hakkai's expression. When then…

'THWAAACKKKKKKKK!!!!!'

"…ITAI YO!!!! Why did you do that, Sanzo??? Ouchhh…"

"…YOU STILL WANNA ASK, BAKA SARUUUUU?????? KONO…"

All of them sweatdropped, except that flat fainted horny water monster kissing the ground instead of girls, and the mad kichigai bouzu who enjoyed himself so much thwacking the saru's head after he hadn't done that for the past several hours.

…This time, a monkey was tortured cruelly just like the water monster of before.

…'Peace' at last, huh?

###############################################################

"…Ite, it hurts!!!"

Goku yelped as Izuko bandaged Goku's leg due to his fight with the ikkou while he was possessed before at the inn. He kept on moving, making the girl's veins went all popped out from her forehead, throbbing crazily.

She had been bandaging the same injury for hours now, and still she just couldn't get it, why do sarus moved too much??

She lifted her almighty fist and…

"…ITAAAAII!!!!! What was that for????"

Goku rubbed his swollen head repeatedly to ease the pain, and he admitted this girl was more brutal than Sanzo's harisen and Gojyo's knuckles or kicks. But the blow sure made him stopped moving and the elders looked at each other, surprised.

"…Okay, give me your head."

Izuko's statement made those shounens sweat dropped, and they felt rather amused by the girl's hilarious aimless talk. If she said that in a more serious tone to other people out there, then they would surely have chopped their head off and gave it to Izuko.

"...What are you staring at? Hm? Hm?" she smiled cutely, making those guys responded to it with different acts.

"…You are sooo cute, you know??" Hakkai rubbed the girl's head again, making her sweat dropped even more. She pushed away Hakkai's hand while chuckling at the elder gleefully.

Not long after that, the hentai-not-satisfied-kappa beamed his typical hentai smile, and he was actually holding the pain smiling like that. Yeah! His face was swollen so bad, that it looked so much like Ranma who once got stung by lots of bees while training to defeat Ryota, remember? (imagine, imagine, imagine!)

And still, he pushed himself to smile, making the others laughed so hard while rolling all over the ground looking at Gojyo's face!! Even Sanzo grinned devilishly and he too tried NOT to laugh by facing the wall and all his temple's veins throbbed out like before!

"…WHACKKKK???"

"…MUARHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

They laughed even harder that they almost burst their stomach laughing so hard at him when they heard Gojyo's new slang, while rolling and rolling all over the ground and that kappa received a powerful thwack on his head from the great Toua Genjo Sanzo Houshi. 

He too, was about to laugh, but being a namaguza bouzu, he successfully camouflaged his laughs with a 'thwack' on the kappa's head!

"…ITAAAAII!!!! Whack do yoo..."

He stopped as soon as Sanzo placed a loaded shoreiju on his temple, grinning like before with numerous veins throbbed like mad!

"...YOU TALK, YOU DIE!!!"

Gojyo gulped. He had no intentions to make them laughed like that, it was just that he couldn't help talking like that since his lips almost got squashed by his biiiiggg swollen cheeks, making it difficult for him to speak properly.

###############################################

Gojyo: Uuuuuuuu……………(T---T) {crying helplessly facing the window}

Neighbours: MURKKK HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAAH!!!!

###############################################

Izuko stopped laughing, so did the others. They didn't want to risk their heads being thwacked like that. They just watched the kappa weeping vulnerably thinking about his fate. Izuko smiled sweetly towards Goku, at the same time making our adorable Goku blushed and stared at Izuko in disbelief.

Instead of sitting crossed-legs, Izuko knelt and made herself higher than Goku, placing a small bandage around his temple. She did it gently, despite of her atrocious, brutal acts towards that kappa before. After she finished bandaging, she stood up and took her bag pack, facing the elders.

"Saa, I've done. May I leave?"

Again, she repeated the previous topic, about leaving the ikkou. Well, she did tell the elders before that she would leave once she finished curing Goku. The shounens all stared at her, while Sanzo grunted under his breath.

Hakkai was the one who opened his mouth, and told her about their opinions on her decision to leave. He stood right before the girl, looking at her black eyes while curling his best smile.

"…Well, why don't you stay with us too?"

Izuko was stunned. She put her bag pack down, and faced the elder once more.

"…But I thought you want me to go once I've done dealing with the spirit?"

"…What spirit???" Goku asked fretfully, making the kappa darted to him and smacked his head hard.

"……ITAI DA YO!!! It hurts, baka ero kappa!"

Gojyo hastily reached a wooden board and started writing words on it with dirt, and it said "Shut up, and hear what's she gonna tell!!!"

Sanzo was about to shoot those guys up when Hakkai sent him a glare that told him to stop making things worse. Besides, both Goku and Gojyo had shut their mouth for good already.

"…We want you to stay with us. Can you?" Hakkai politely asked Izuko.

"…Demo, Sanzo-sama said…"

"Mada, mada!! Ne, Sanzo! You don't mind, right?"

Hakkai once again sent him a death-promising glare with his beautiful emerald eyes, urging him to agree. Well, it worked, though. Sanzo lit up his cigar and answered with such lethargic lazy tone.

"....Whatever you want."

Izuko was stunned again, but she declared deep inside her heart, that she felt happy to stay with those weird men. They made her smile all the time, not to mention the baka practical jokes they've made before.

She smiled, and bowed again before she lifted her bag once again.

"…Thanks, you guys! At least I can get some exercises by beating Gojyo-san up!" she giggled and turned to that swollen-faced kappa, followed by his giggle as well.

"Saa, shall we go now?"

The elders were more than happy when they heard the girl's reply to travel with them together. Besides, they could solve that spirit thing and stuff with her help, since none of the boys knew how to commune with spiritual things like that.

"…Demo, where to? The spirit didn't tell us where that man lived."

Izuko thought about it for a while when then she recalled something.

"…She said Goku will know about it, and she told us to go to the Northwest. Remember?"

Hakkai nodded and he abruptly turned to Sanzo, who was murmuring something that you might not want to know. (-__-()) He was cursing again.

While that Goku? Well, his head was filled with tons of question marks, all popped out at once hearing those people's talk.

He didn't remember anything about any spirits, ghosts, souls, whatever! But the last thing he remembered was when they all heard that lullaby back in the inn, and before he knew it, he was awaked, seeing a girl on him, blushing.

"…What spirit, ne, Hakkai? Ojou-san?"

Izuko turned back, her black eyes met the golden ones once more.

"…Don't you even remember anything about it? Not a single clue?"

Goku halted and tried so hard squashing his brains to recall back those things, but failed. He shook his head, making his chocolate hair moved along and brushed his golden diadem.

Izuko understood well, that the spirit would appear again, replacing Goku's body when they ever need any hints about that man who killed her cruelly 10 years ago. If not, Goku would have known everything about that beast already.

"…Sanzo? Can we delay our journey to the West?"

Sanzo was about to protest when then he saw FOUR pair of different coloured eyes for each person made such kawaii puppy blinking eyes towards him, that made him almost shot his head to death, rather than viewing that view!

'One saru's enough already, and then FOUR of them?? You've gotta be kidding me!!!'

Couldn't do anything about it, and Sanzo stood up while wearing his robe back, continued cursing.

"…Iku zo!!!!"

They were more than glad when the boss finally agreed, and Izuko herself felt quite glad being with these strong men, and moreover…

…She wouldn't ask for more, just to be with these shounens.

…If two years ago she lost her brother…

She was not going to lose these men as well.

'I guess this is the beginning of my life…'

The kappa and saru jumped gleefully, and ran out to the loyal dragon outside, who had already transformed itself to a big green jeep. He cooed as he saw Izuko with the boys, and he sure felt delighted to have a new friend.

Right when the ikkou plus Izuko in it, went on the jeep, the sun started to rise gradually showing its pretty shining self and lightened the whole wide world. Birds chirped merrily and the sky started to change its colour brightly.

Warm soothing wind blew smoothly and brushed those men and Izuko's face, making them smiled in satisfaction. The glum dark night had transformed to a sunny fine bright day, once again. The scene was so beautiful, that made the ikkou were all in a good mood to start their new journey…

…To the Northwest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night was fine, and Hakkai was driving peacefully due to the silence he achieved since quiet a while ago. He took a glance at his companions through the rear mirror.

Gojyo and Goku were sleeping peacefully, (well, although they were snoring out loud with mouth opened wide facing the sky) with both hands tugging at each other's hair. 

They were actually fighting for a meat bun when Sanzo as usual smacked those good-for-nothings' heads cruelly and at the same time making them shut their mouth up, but still, they kept on tugging out each other's hair, in a mute version.

But Hakkai admitted that scene was different. Not that Sanzo's harisen was a brand new harisen after the old one got destroyed, or not the surprisingly mute version of those shounens' fight.

…It was Izuko's sweet giggles and smiles.

Hakkai glanced at the young girl who was sleeping peacefully with her sword under her chin, in case if the kappa got up abruptly and 'accidentally' molest her out of the day, then she would use her blade for good, although she hadn't done it before.

But one thing Hakkai felt somewhat suspicious about her was her past. All those crying, all those weeping…

…And most of all, he realised that girl had GOLDEN eyes just like Goku. It wasn't that Hakkai was a colour-blinded youkai, but that night at the inn…

…She was crying over Goku's condition surprisingly although he was a stranger to her before, and Hakkai saw it. Her tears covered her black eyes, and made her eyes turned GOLD.

That was why Hakkai told Gojyo before about the female itan. But still, that kappa didn't see it yet, nor Sanzo. When she cried, Hakkai would be the one who reached her and looked at her eyes deeply, just to make sure about the colour. No duh!

…And he was accurate about it.

'…That girl, hides almost everything about herself. I knew it, I just knew it.'

"…Uhhh…gimme back the bun…kono ero kappa…Kuuuuhhh…"

"…It's miiinneeee…baka saruuuu…"

"…Yare yare desu ne…" Hakkai chuckled

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There, somewhere in Togenkyo, was a big fort on a hill, and it looked horrifying with its dark evil-like atmosphere. The day at that place looked petrifying enough, and the night was more than worse.

There, inside the fort was a man, with muscular body, and he was viewing the most awful scene in his favourite room, where three of his subordinates were tormenting a teenage girl, slapping her, bashing and trampling her over and over again. They somewhat didn't show any mercy on doing that to her, and they totally ignored the girl's loud cries and groans.

The black-haired lass was wrist-tied with a chain that attached around her neck, and it made her felt more painful together with the bashes she got from the bad youkais kicking her viciously. She was trying hard not to cry, and she kept on been tortured like hell. Her face showed no other expressions but disgust, hatred, repugnance, abhorrence, and extremely loathing look.

The youkais laughed hysterically at her, quite enjoying hitting her like crazy, but suddenly they halted and turned to their boss who was watching the wonderful satisfying scene, like what he thought about it, and the girl spitted out a lot of dark crimson blood, flowing freely along the metal shackles.

"…What should we do next, boss?? She won't tell us about it!" a bald youkai suddenly went out of the room, leaving the other two inside, staring at her with such annoying stare.

The 'boss-demon' just kept his mouth shut and abruptly he turned around, heading to his own room. While heading to his destination, he suddenly opened his mouth and replied his subordinate's query.

"…Do whatever you like to her, until she tells us about that damned itan."

The youkai latter smirked and went back to the room, telling his friends about it and they totally had turned themselves to farthest devilish youkais. They glared at the helpless girl with such hentai look, and laughed irritatingly.

The girl was trembling in fear, jerking back painfully and met her back with the wall, staring back at the youkais fretfully, and her golden eyes started to produce out terrified tears and she started to groan helplessly, as a sign for the youkais not to do anything to her anymore.

Those nasty youkais somehow didn't care about her feelings much, when they abruptly stepped nearer to the girl while giggling in such perverted way. The young lass shook and trembled in terror when she could clearly predict what would the youkais do to her.

She was about to scream when someone's face suddenly appeared in her mind, two of them.

She felt rather calmed despite of the youkais tried to grab her, when she unexpectedly smiled.

'…I'll never let you die, like how Keigo nii-chan died….'

There, that time, in the fort, a girl's virginity had been destroyed mercilessly by three damned youkais. She was speechless, although her body was wrecked harshly, and 'eaten' by those nasty demons, and all she could do was closing her eyes, and recalled those happy moments she had gone through, although she did feel enormous pain due to the molests…

'…Do whatever you like, kill me, rape me, but I'll never give up my twin's life to you...'

'…Yeah, go on, destroy me, raze my body, my dignity, everything. Just ruin my life, it's useless by the way...'

'…I'll never let you kill her…'

She smiled, underneath those youkais' damned bodies, unexpectedly…

'…Izuko…' 

'…Save yourself.'

tsuzuku…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*is 'Raven' the correct word to say 'black'? I thought Raven is a bird, ne? Please explain to me, onegai.

P/S: I don't wanna insert any long conversations in the future. Lemme say this again, I love writing, but for sure, I'm depressed by the response... Gomen and thanks. Especially, thanks 4 those who reviewed before. {bows} I'm too talkative, that's why all you readers hate me…I know.

**Rook-san – **Thanks for liking my fics!! Ooooh, I'm really glad there're some who like my fics, and yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Sankyu na, and I hope your oncoming fics gonna be extremely great!! (^--^)v Please laugh more, ok? Hahaha!!!

**Confessions…**

Hm, I've inserted a new OC again!! Please don't get mad with me, since I guess this story's going to be a looooooggg story and well, I won't tell you what'll happen in the end!! No fun!

But for the next chap, I'll insert more serious scenes, not baka lame jokes about Gojyo. I pitied on him, well, sort of. Also I guess I've made this story rather confusing ne? Shinpai shinaide, I'll try to insert straight forwardly scenes than just flashbacks.

I admit it's gonna be more interesting in the next chaps. But without reviews, I guess this story's going to be the most pathetic story on earth. (T-T) I'm tired to say this again, Review, onegai.

**Explanations:**

1. Izuko had a weird past, that made her eyes raven-coloured instead of golden like what Hakkai saw. The same goes to her silver hair, which was different from her twin's hair.

2. Do tell me if you're confused with anything, I'll explain them to you. Dakara, review, onegai shimasu!

**~~~v(^o^)v~~~**

** -LIFE'S GREAT, Don't Think So?-**

** -Besides, to die is a good way of escaping...**

** -But if you die nothing will change...**

** -Instead if you decide to continue living...**

** -You can ATLEAST...**

** CHANGE SOMETHING.**

PS: I've used the above words for 2 years now, and thanks to Sanzo, I failed in committing suicide before. {bows} Hontou ni arigatou gozaimashita ne, Sanzo-sama! (^-^) 


	7. Chapter 07 Truth Lies

Seiko: I don't own Saiyuki, and never own it until I die, got that? Now read the chapter already and I don't want to say anything about reviews. Just do it if you want to, if you don't, just leave it. Understood? Good. 

Goku: {sweat dropped} Why so short, ne Seiko-chan?

Hakkai: Yare yare desu ne…Stop sulking like that, Seiko-chan.

Sanzo: Ch, that's great she stopped that baka conversations already.

Gojyo: But…But…

Seiko: Shaddap. {closes door} {starts typing} {looks at readers} I'm not the same old seiko, mind you. I'm extremely disappointed about myself, I can hardly think of any baka #insert every curse you know# JOKES. So, you too, shaddap and just read this baka fic until I finish. {cries} (T-T) Now stop looking at me like that!!! Uuuuu…

Goku: Poor Seiko, ne?

Sanzo: Let her be like that, she's a baka alright.

Seiko: {singing 'Evolution' by Ayumi} Konna toki ni umaretsuita yo, da kedo nan to ka susundet'te, da kara nan to ka koko ni tatte, bokura wa kyou o okutte'ru, wow yeah…wow yeah…wow yeaaahhh!!!

Others: ………She's crazy for sure. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**MISCHIEVOUS SPIRIT**

Chapter 7 – Truth Lies 

It was a very fine day with soft warm comforting breeze blew the atmosphere surrounding the four boys and the girl. The wind brushed their faces soothingly, and the scent of maple trees pricked their noses, while the sun was shining restfully and it brightened the whole day with its glow.

The shady trees lined up all along the route, fringing the way to the next village. 

The boys were feeling fine, none of them felt like arguing, fighting or what so ever it was, they were sitting silently on the jeep, listening.

Listening to the silver-haired girl who was doing all the talking. Her hair swayed freely by the wind, and she halted for a while, making the elders had the chance to ask her almost all about everything she had just explained.

It all started when Goku asked Izuko about the spirit, the pendant…

…And herself.

"…Izuko? May I ask you something?"

"Sure, just name it"

The girl somehow felt rather odd when for the first time Goku sounded so serious about it. He was setting his golden orbs right on her black ones and Izuko didn't know that saru could be THIS kind of person, ABRUPTLY.

"…What actually happened to the spirit, inside this pendant?"

Goku clasped the pendant around his neck firmly, before he turned to the black-eyed girl once again. The female latter stared back at Goku when then she started talking her thoughts out.

"…That's a long story, Goku. And it's not necessary for you to know. Once we killed that man, it would vanished and never disturb you anymore."

The elders were all quite stunned by that explanation, short, but it sounded as if she was hesitating to tell them the whole story.

"We have enough time to hear them, Izuko-san." Hakkai interfered.

Izuko looked at the dark-haired man, and she saw a slight smile was formed neatly on his calmed face. She turned to Sanzo, who was pretending to sleep, trying not to response to any of the girl's talk.

"…It's too difficult, either to understand, or to explain about it."

"…Onegai, Izuko. We really want to know, please?" Goku voiced out again, and his expression was more than serious.

Gojyo threw away his cigarette before he lit up another one, and he was wondering what made this saru interested in this matter at the first place?

'…I thought his head is filled with foods, foods, foods, all over.'

Izuko laid her aching back, relaxing herself after she had bent for almost two hours, staring at her pendant. Nothing else to do, since the saru and kappa were both bored by the same fight, and they had just eaten their supplies just then.

Izuko sighed and she faced the elders, before she started her story.

"Saa, what do you want to know?"

"…This pendant." Goku showed the pendant, which started to reflect the sun's bright light, making Izuko's face in front got brightened vaguely.

"…Well, you see…You might not believe in what I'm going to tell you, but that's the truth."

The elders waited patiently, even Sanzo opened his eyes and stared at the girl behind through the rear mirror. Hakkai, Gojyo and mostly Goku, paid their attentions toward the girl, ignoring everything else.

By that, Izuko continued.

"…This pendant is one of the four sacred pendants in the world, as far as I know. They are all made of different jades, but they only have THREE abilities. First, it can give you whatever that you desire, secondly it can give someone another chance to live and third…" 

"…It can destroy anything. Absolutely anything." 

The boys were shocked, and they stared at Izuko in such disbelief. Izuko inhaled some air into her lungs before she continued her story while clasping her fingers altogether and placed them right before her pinkish lips, elbows on each lap.

"…But with one condition. The pendants must have a spirit trapped in it, as its energy source."

"…That means this pendant, also has the power to do that?"

"Yes, to bring happiness, as well as destroying this world."

"…But how?" Gojyo bent nearer to the young girl.

"…When the wearer of those sacred pendants got killed, then that's the only way to make the spirit trapped inside. Otherwise, it would be free."

"If only they were killed?"

"…Sou, Hakkai-san. Since these jades have the power to control the world WITH a spirit locked in it, those who wanted to conquer the world before had killed the heirs in order to make the pendants reactivate."

They were shocked, stunned. Gojyo was the one who protested the cruel acts.

"…Why so mean??? Innocent beings got killed, just because of those damned pendants??"

"...What are you trying to say is...the spirit owned the pendant, and got killed, making her trapped in it for 10 years already. But since Goku had picked it up without any special ritual made, the spirit controlled him before, right?"

Hakkai seemed to understand the story well, and he replied the girl clear enough. Izuko nodded before she continued.

"….Yes, unfortunately. And I found out that there are only two of them which are still exist, while the other three might be destroyed entirely or maybe they're still subsist, I'm not sure…."

Goku jerked back, followed by Sanzo's usual 'ch'.

"Destroyed? How come?"

"Once the jades were used to do the biddings for that cruel person, they were self-destructed."

Gojyo started to get worried, and he suddenly moved even closer to Izuko, making the girl yanked back and met with Sanzo's seat.

"What???"

"…Are you telling us the truth?"

Gojyo's crimson eyebrow lifted a bit, making Izuko felt rather uncomfortable. But unexpectedly, Goku pushed the kappa back to his seat hard, piercing a sharp glare toward Gojyo.

"…Shut up, Gojyo!!! I wanna know the whole story!!"

Gojyo was dumbfounded, that he quickly sat back followed with a cheeky grin.

'Ch, I guess I don't have any chance to date her, ne? The saru got her first.'

Izuko sighed in relieve before she turned back facing Goku, hugging herself quite tight.

"…There's another cause that might made those pendants vanished."

The ikkou widened their ears as Izuko started to explain another fact.

"…When the wearers sacrificed themselves to save other people, I mean they gave their life to that person. Willingly, without any doubts."

Four shounens gawked at Izuko with such dubious, confused expressions. First, the killings and then sacrifices? What made those pendant heirs determined themselves to own that sacred pendants anyway?

Hakkai voiced out all his thoughts about the sacrificing matter.

"…So, you mean that those who had these pendants before had the ability to 'donate' their own souls to save others?"

Izuko nodded, making her silver fringe shook slightly between her forehead.

"…What about the others?" Hakkai turned back before he looked back on the road.

"…Well, as far as I know the pendants are now safe, since they are no villains who take them and use the pendants for bad things. Dakara, we must protect this pendant Goku wear, or else. This is one of the sacred jades left…"

"Wait. You said once the pendant fell in any bad guys, and then it will self-destroyed, ne? So how come this one's still like this? Didn't the man take it away?" Gojyo voiced out.

Izuko stared at the pendant, puzzled by the question.

"Hmm…It makes sense, Gojyo-san. But I don't know about it, and in this case, I guess the man didn't do anything bad using this spirit. Just don't know why…"

The elders were fully understood. They found it weird at first but it did make sense after all by using living spirits as the energy source, it was just that the way to kill the innocent humans and youkais was too mean. Too selfish.

Hakkai finally recalled something about the pendant, and he abruptly asked the girl.

"By the way, is your pendant one of the sacred pendants?"

Izuko was dumbfounded by the sudden question, and she was shocked hearing it abruptly. It was about HER pendant, for crying out loud. Not that around Goku's neck, but HERS.

She hesitated for a while, making the boys felt rather restless waiting for her reply. She was struggling with her mind whether to tell them or not. They were strangers, and what if they killed her after they heard the whole story about her?

"Izuko? Daijoubu ka?" Goku tapped the girl's hand, and she abruptly jerked her hand back, shocked by Goku's sudden act.

"…Well, do tell us about yourself now, and I shall date you after this, how's that?"

Gojyo giggled, and Izuko was damned sure that kappa was joking, and she could hear the bouzu cursed over and over again, with Hakkai's chuckling, facing the road. While Goku, he was staring deeply into the lass's eyes, pleading her to continue speaking.

"…I can't tell you that."

That was the answer Izuko gave out, and the elders were quite stunned by the reply. She sure was hiding the whole thing about herself, and her pendant. It was shown clearly by her abrupt response on revealing her true self.

"Aaaa??? Why is that??" Gojyo protested, joined by Goku's 'arghh' as well.

"…Sumimasen, but I will never tell anyone. Especially to you, Gojyo-san! I consider you as strangers, no way I'm going to tell you anything about me."

Izuko ignored the screaming saru and kappa, she kept staring at her pendant before she turned to Hakkai, forming her best smile.

"I'm sorry, but do understand Hakkai-san. I'll tell you once if we know each other better."

Hakkai looked back straight to the girl's face, and she was smiling cutely that any boy's heart would melt seeing her like that. No doubt, she was as naïve, as adorable as Goku. Furthermore, she was still a teenager like the saru.

"No, I really don't mind Izuko." Hakkai smiled, and it made Izuko felt eased. She turned to Sanzo who was still cursing both Goku and Gojyo who were fighting over…

…FOODS, what else??

"…Let go of MY meat bun, kono baka saru!!"

"…What?? I don't see any names on it!!! Kono kappa!!!"

"NANI??? Kono baka baka baka baka saru!!! Give it back!!"

Miraculously, this time there was a winner, Goku! He jumped and jumped and he reached the bun from kappa's hand, stuck in the bun into his mouth hastily.

"ARGHHH!!! Give it back, saru!!"

"…I've eaten it, baka kappa!! Hahahaha!!"

"…KONO BAKA SARU!!!"

"I'm NOT A SARU, EROTIC HENTAI GOKIBURI KAPPA!!!"

"What??? Baka saru saru saru saru!!"

"…Kono kappa kappa kappa kappa kappa!!!"

Izuko sweat dropped along with Hakkai and the monk in front, felt rather amazed by the boys' childish acts. They looked exactly like kids, despite of their age…

Izuko desperately moved away from the fighting saru and kappa to avoid any injuries, and she pushed herself between Hakkai and Sanzo, sitting there and viewed the entertaining show performed by those scalawags.

"Saa, I guess this is much more better than the Kabuki and No*, ne Hakkai-san?"

She giggled gleefully with Hakkai, and the bouzu was longing to smack their heads out cold so much, for making such a fuss about foods. His hands itched for the harisen, and then…

"ARGHHHHHH!!! URUSAI!!!!!!"

'THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!!!!'

"ITAI!!!!!"

"…IT HURTS, BAKA BOUZU!!!"

Izuko couldn't hold it anymore that she burst out laughing at those three. Sanzo was now standing at the back, letting Izuko sat on his seat. He was still tormenting Goku and Gojyo just to make them shut up their mouth. Not to mention his curses…

The trio stopped suddenly when they saw Izuko giggled in front, and they felt like dumb when their 'thwacking session' became an entertainment already, due to that girl's laugh.

"…Stop it already! I just can't hold it!!" she giggled again, and it surely made Sanzo retreated back his sugoku harisen.

Izuko was still chuckling while switching back her place with cursing Sanzo, when all of a sudden…

'THWACK!!!'

"Owww!! It hurts, Sanzo!!!"

This time, not that both saru and kappa became the victims, but Izuko!

Izuko shut her mouth up, and Hakkai in front was calming Sanzo down with all his might, while those two stared at her amazingly.

"…What are you staring at? Itai...."

She kept on rubbing her head, when then both Goku and Gojyo laughed at her, followed by her laugh along after that. They sure felt amused when they had something in common, at least.

Sanzo was damned mad with the noise, when Hakkai interrupted his cursing.

"…It's like a dream, ne, Sanzo? Just a night before Goku almost died, and right now he was laughing with that girl."

"…Aa, and I feel more than worse."

"…But don't you think she was trying to hide something from us?"

Hakkai was almost whispering and those three behind were totally ignoring his conversations with Sanzo, they kept on giggling to their dumb acts.

"…Like hell I care about it."

Hakkai chuckled nervously by that weird reply, when then Sanzo stood up again and…

'BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!'

"…URUSE!!!!!!!"

"Yare yare desu ne…"

Hakkai was feeling disturbed by the girl's true identity, and he was sure that the pendant she wore was one of the sacred ones.

'But if it did, then whose spirit was in it?'

'She's not an assassin as I can see…'

'…But for sure, she had a dark past. Maybe worse than us…'

'…And those eyes, I just don't know…'

'…Yet, she has this 'ki' energy, although I don't sense any yuki form from her, none. She's not a youkai.'

'…What is she anyway?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was about to buried itself and the sky turned its blue colour to orange, and the scene was more than wonderful when several little birds chirped merrily as they flew together in a group back to their nests.

Sanzo, who was leaning his back against a big tree trunk and he was the one who felt most calmed. He recalled back that incident with Oshio-sama, where he suddenly realised…

…For the first time he admitted there was something that was prettier than him.

Ch, baka namaguza stingy bouzu with such miserable attitudes always thought that he was the only beautiful thing in this world!

Sanzo threw away his cigarette, and his beautiful amethyst eyes were both set on the bright sun, which was going down and welcoming the night warmly with its touch.

"Oi, Hakkai. When will we start moving?"

"…I'm afraid we have to wait until tomorrow, Sanzo. It's almost two days non-stop, and I don't want to take risk on having an injured dragon while traveling."

Sanzo grunted, but he didn't cursed. He had no idea why did he feel strange that day, was it because of his hungry stomach, which he didn't care much, as long as he could eat his whole cigarettes. Or was it because…

…Goku had stopped whining for food.

That chocolate-haired boy was sitting crossed-legs with Gojyo and that strange mysterious girl with them, and they were playing 'Truth or Dare' together with Hakkai and Hakuryu.

Sanzo grunted again, since his 'servants' didn't look like they cared much about this spiritual matter. He somehow lit up his next cigarette, and he found out that he was almost out of his nicotine supplies.

"Ch, baka."

The other four were still talking and talking cheerfully, and they were actually arguing about who was going to start first. Hakkai pointed to Izuko, and she pointed to the saru before the saru pointed to the kappa. It went on over and over again as Gojyo pointed back to Hakkai.

"Yare yare desu ne………Then we'll never start playing, ne?"

Everyone looked at Gojyo, who was relaxing himself like a lazy kappa already. He realised that, and he quickly sat up before the saru argued with him again, and he sighed heavily.

"Okay, okay! I'll be the first!!"

"Yatta!! You're gorgeous, kappa!" Izuko replied joyfully.

"…Oi, was that a compliment or an insult??"

"Hayaku, Gojyo!! Hayaku, hayaku!!" Goku's eyes widened in excitement.

"…That's right, Gojyo-san! Truth or dare?"

Gojyo rubbed his chin hilariously, and he suddenly voiced out.

"DARE!!"

"Okay then, let's see…" Izuko pulled the other guys near her and whispered something to them, while glaring at dozing Sanzo behind.

"Woah, that's great, Izuko!! But are you sure you're not going to be whacked??"

"…Well, that's the most powerful dare ever! We'll run away after that!"

Izuko turned to Gojyo who was feeling rather nervous when the latter grinned devilishly towards him. She crawled next to Gojyo's ears and whispered his dare of the day when…

"...OI, ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT????"

"…Maa, maa Gojyo! You want a dare, right? So, that's what we chose for you!"

Goku giggled together with Izuko when Gojyo abruptly stood up and glared at those people.

"You better be right about this, onna!"

Gojyo walked towards Sanzo, who was totally ignoring his companions and he was having his own private sleeping time when that kappa suddenly came in front of him and…

…………….

...………….

'WHACKKK!!!'

"Kono hentai yarou kappa!!! nani shiteru???"

Gojyo was groaning painfully on the ground, while Sanzo started to thwack that kappa's head out burst and he 'accidentally' turned back to those behind, and…

"………MUARKH HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Sanzo's face was filled with black marker's stain all around his eyes, and it looked so much like a pair of broad glasses, while there was a thick, I mean it, THICK moustache right upper than his mouth! Not to mention A LOT of black beard around his chin up to his ears.

His eyes were garlanded with curly eyelashes, and his blonde eyebrows were blackened by the pen! (...Just imagine his eyebrows almost looked like Shin Chan's dad...SO THICK!)

His cheeks were 'decorated beautifully' with some hand-made cat's whiskers, and there was a heart-shaped mark right surrounding his red small chakra on his forehead! But the funniest thing was that there were several dots on his cheeks and they looked like...pimples!!! BIIG ones!!

"Hahahahahahahah!!!"

They laughed so hard that the calm night became such a noisy night already. Goku was laughing so hard that he rolled all over the ground with Izuko. Hakkai was trying to hold on his laugh, and he kept on telling those kids not to laugh, when actually he WAS laughing along with them.

Their eyes were filled with tears, they were crying caused by the laughing!

Sanzo was damned mad that time. His veins all popped out MORE than usual, that his hands reached his harisen and……

'THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!!!'

"Itai yo, baka bouzu!!"

"Itai da zo!! Why did you do that?? Iteeee…"

"Kono gaki…"

Yeah, yeah, like usual those kids would be the victims of the night, and Hakkai had already ran away with Hakuryu deep into the woods, preventing himself from being smacked together with them.

Not only that, he was essentially wanted to pick up some firewood, so that the night wouldn't be too freezing. Hakuryu came along with his master, flying over Hakkai's head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nee, Izuko?"

Izuko was sitting with legs stretched straight in front, enjoying her midnight snack, after been kicked by Sanzo numerous times as the result of her stupid dare. She turned to Goku, who was approaching her slowly.

She waited for the boy to sit down, and she started to get worried about Goku, since she predicted that the spirit might have told him anything about that man.

Goku sat crossed-legs next to Izuko, as the young lass moved a bit and gave some space to him. She handed one of her buns, and was gleefully taken by the saru.

"…What is it?"

Goku munched and munched, and he seemed like he had forgotten about what he was going to ask Izuko before. Foods, always affect Goku's attitude, don't you think so?

"Goku! What is it you want to talk about?"

"Eh? Hmmm…Oh, about this pendant."

"Again? I've told you everything about it ne?"

"…Not THIS pendant, THIS pendant."

Goku raised his hand and clasped Izuko's pendant in his palm, and Izuko's veins popped out like crazy on his head as Goku looked so baka and he was actually ALMOST touched Izuko…

"…Itai yo!!! Nan da yo??"

"You…hentai saru!! Get away from me!!"

They started arguing again, making Sanzo who had just came back from the river together with Hakkai grunted and cursed those two youngsters. Hakkai looked at his face and chuckled nervously.

"Sanzo, there're still some on your cheeks! Go wash them, hayaku before Gojyo awakes and laughs at you again!"

"…Kuso that kappa!!"

He took almost FIVE hours just to wash away the marker's mark on his face, but still, some of them couldn't vanished. So, ignoring others, he went to the river once more followed by Hakkai and Hakuryu at the back.

Thankfully the marker wasn't the permanent one, like how Goku did to Hakkai's palm long time ago. 

Back to the gakis, they were having such a great fight and Izuko suddenly gave up, as she didn't want to wake that swollen kappa up and he might as well makes chaos again.

"Huh, then what is it about my pendant?"

"…Like what Hakkai asked you before, does your pendant has a spirit in it?"

Goku halted rubbing his head, and stared at the dumbfounded girl in front, leaning against a tree.

"…Should I tell you this? What for?"

"…I'm curious about you, to say the truth. Why actually did you save me?"

"Because you're in trouble, that's why!"

"…But you looked so much like you want something from us! Don't tell me you want Sanzo's Evil Sutra too??"

Izuko was shocked. She had never thought about Goku scolding her like that, just because of his curiosity, he was persistent, all right. Goku kept on staring at her eyes fretfully, and he waited for something…

…tears.

Goku had his own way to make others do what he wanted, and in this case……….

…he was making Izuko cry.

'…Is she a heretic just like me? Is that so? I must know this, Hakkai told me her eyes turned gold when she cried…'

"Goku? What happened to you?"

"…Admit it, you want to kill Sanzo, right??"

"…Goku!"

"…That's why you saved me, and you don't want us to know about yourself, as you're trying to steal the sutra away!!"

"…………"

Izuko lowered her head, facing the dirt while then her tears started to gather in her eyes. Her shoulders shook a bit, due to the sobbing. She wiped away her tears harshly, but still, it wouldn't stop falling.

She didn't have any intent to kill anyone, nor to steal anyone's belongings. She asked herself why she had saved that boy before, who was a stranger who didn't know anything about her past.

'…Nan da ka? Why did I save him? Because he's a heretic, like ME?"

Izuko sat on the ground once more, sobbing quietly while hugging her white coat tight. She was shaking in fear, as her thoughts went thinking about her past, as if it happened again right in front of her eyes.

Goku felt miserable. He himself didn't know what was he doing, making a girl cry just to see her true self. But still, he knelt before the weeping girl, to make sure that girl was an itan after all.

"…Izuko?"

Still, she didn't stop sobbing.

"…Izuko, I didn't mean to……"

"…Shut up."

Goku halted. He looked at the girl, and he tried hard enough to see her eyes, but failed since Izuko's silver locks kept covering her orbs. He then heard the girl whispered.

"…Shut up, you don't know me, Goku…"

Goku's heart soothed as he heard the girl's soft, sad voice. He was sure Izuko was having such a terrible past, just hearing her voice. So innocent, and pureness was shown clearly as she sobbed again, and she had managed to lower her sobs.

Goku felt pity for the girl. Although they didn't know each other, he felt like this girl was a long time friend of his. He too felt guilty when he raised his voice before, really, he didn't mean to hurt that lass's feelings.

'…but I must know the truth! Gomen, Izuko.'

Unexpectedly, Goku lifted his hand up and held Izuko's chin up slowly. Her white pale face faced Goku's and her tears were still rolling drop by drop down her cheeks. She looked so pitiful that time, and it looked like as if serenity fell on her pure face, making it shone vaguely at night.

Right when Goku lifted her chin, their eyes met.

Goku couldn't believe what he had just seen. Although it was such a dark night, Goku could see it clearly by the flames' slight light.

'Masaka…'

Their eyes met each other for quite a long time, and Goku was still stunned by that…

'…golden eyes.'

Izuko was actually felt rather puzzled when Goku looked at her like that, when abruptly she realised…

'He saw it…'

She hastily stood up and turned aside, but still, Goku's eyes were still on Izuko, refusing to gawk elsewhere…

…but her.

Izuko wiped away her tears hastily with her white coat and she was still facing towards the river, not Goku. She felt like running away, but then she had courage to open her mouth at last.

"You saw me, my true self. So now I guess it's useless for me to stay here any longer."

She turned to Goku once more, and her eyes were still gold, making the other itan stood up facing her, shocked about what was she talking about.

"…I don't want you to know about me, but now you do. So, I'm leaving then."

"What are you saying?? Why are you hiding yourself as an itan like me? And now you want to go??"

"Dakara, I've told you. Before you knew about me, my past… I need to leave."

"…BUT WHY???"

"…You'll cry over my death. IF I tell you what I am."

Goku was astonished as he felt a sudden chill ran through his body, cold freezing breeze blew slowly and it seemed as it was saying goodbye to Izuko already.

"...But you're just an itan like me!!"

"...Chigau(=it's different). I might be a heretic, but I'm totally different than anyone else in this world."

"...Nani? What do you mean by that??"

The girl bent and took her backpack after she tied her coat around her waist, and she started to step away from Goku.

"Dakara, I've told you, I can't tell you what am I. You won't believe it..."

'No…she's not going to leave…'

'After all those talking, laughing…And she goes away like that?'

'She's…a stranger, why should I care, actually?'

'…Goku?? What happened to you? Why are you feeling like this?? Why don't you want her to leave?'

'…She's a friend.'

'…No, she's not.'

'But I don't want her to go…'

'Why?'

'…Because…'

Goku was struggling with his own thoughts, puzzled by his own feelings.

But then, Goku grabbed Izuko's wrist tight, making the girl turned back and faced the itan once again. She looked at Goku in puzzlement, and her gaze changed towards their hands, which got attached firmly like they were glued together.

"…Don't leave me."

Izuko was perplexed. That boy sounded serious, and it was damned WEIRD, seeing Goku like that. His voice was straight, but full of emotion.

"…Just don't go."

"…Goku, let go of my hand."

"…I won't! Tell me you're not leaving!"

"I am leaving. So, let me go."

Izuko was struggling hard to release her wrist from Goku's grab but she just couldn't. Not knowing what to do, Izuko stared at Goku with such worried expression. She hadn't seen Goku this unrelenting, making her puzzled.

"What do you want from me? Just let me leave. I don't want to make you suffer!"

"…I want you to stay. Please, Izuko."

"…No, I'm going! Can't you understand me??"

Izuko struggled again, this time with her other hand's help. But Goku refused to let it go, and his attempt to make Izuko stay was a success when the girl gave up and sighed. She abruptly sat on the ground, making Goku jerked down together.

"Okay, then tell me why you want me to stay."

Goku was speechless.

'…Why? I…don't know why…My feelings said so, I just don't want you to leave us. But why?'

"…Goku? Answer me. Naze?"

"Well, I…don't have any idea why…"

"Then let go of me."

"No way!! I'm not going to let you leave us like this!!"

"But I have to! Like what I've said, you'll cry over my death, when you find out what I am!!"

"…I don't understand what're you talking about, just stay!!"

"…I won't!!! HANASE!!"

Izuko pulled back her hand hard abruptly making Goku let her wrist go. She rubbed her wrist as red marks started to form around her wrist due to Goku's firm grab. She stood up again, taking along her backpack along and stared at Goku.

"…You see, Goku. I have my own reasons why I'm leaving, and it's for your own good. I have my own past, and I don't want to trouble you, Hakkai-san, Sanzo-san or even that kappa over there. Dakara, I must leave."

Goku shut his mouth, and he let out his 'ch' while his fists shook in rage, angry with himself as he failed to stop Izuko from leaving.

"…Please understand, Goku."

The latter was still there, speechless. But Izuko could predict that Goku was imprecise with his thoughts. She knew well about this boy, he was childish. But sometimes he did act mature time by time. 

Izuko knelt before Goku, placing her palm over Goku's diadem and flowed her bluish 'ki' through his head.

"…I'll seal your diadem for a while, until the spirit's free. She might throw it away if I don't."

But then, before she finished her ritual, a smooth grab reached her wrist once more, and yes, it was Goku who clasped Izuko's hand in his fist.

"…Tachisaru na. (=Don't leave)"

Izuko was astonished for the second time that she couldn't say a thing to that boy. Her eyes were both set on the itan's face, trying to reveal what was he thinking about that made him acted like…

…He wasn't Goku anymore.

The comforting wind brushed those teenagers' faces, making their hair swayed slightly. They kept on being speechless dolls when Goku made up his mind.

…that he wasn't going to let this girl go…

…that he wasn't going to lose her…

…that he'll pay her kindness back…

…for sure.

Goku moved his head nearer Izuko, and his body moved forward towards that girl, right after he let the girl's wrist go. Without any expectations…

…Goku hugged the girl. TIGHT. 

His arms were placed firmly around that girl, embracing her tautly. He didn't know what was he doing, but he would never let her go if she kept on saying she was going to leave. 

…never.

"…Don't leave us, please?"

"…Goku??"

Izuko was blushing severely due to what Goku did to her. The hug somehow got tighter and Izuko's head was positioned right on Goku's shoulder, her hands were down, she didn't hug back. 

It was fine if Hakkai hugged her, as an elder brother. But this Goku? He might be older than Izuko, but that didn't mean she would treat him like her brother!

They were almost at the same age, and having someone like that to hug her, then it would be more than embarrassing.

Izuko pushed Goku's shoulder away, and he let his hug go right when he felt Izuko's hands pushed him away. He faced Izuko again, who was still blushing but something was wrong… 

…She smiled calmly towards Goku but then…

"…I won't go, Goku. But…"

'THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!'

"…Hugging me like that is ILLEGAL in my dictionary!!! Baka hentai saru!!"

"Itai yo!! Stop it already!!"

Izuko kept on thwacking the saru's head hard with a stick she found on the ground, hitting him like crazy.

The noise somehow made Gojyo woke up from his unconsciousness and halted seeing the girl smacked hard Goku's head. He scratched his head, not having any idea why did she get angry that much. But for sure, he found it funny and all of a sudden, he laughed.

Both of the youngsters halted and stared at Gojyo, when then…

'THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!!'

A harisen smacked hard Gojyo's head, making him stopped laughing and started groaning. It was Sanzo, who suddenly appeared from his back, and he was entirely wet!

"Yare yare desu ne…"

Hakkai came out from the woods, and he too, was damned all wet!

"Hakkai-san! What happened??"

"…Sanzo was mad when the mark didn't come out, so he jumped into the river…" 

Hakkai was lying, obviously. He then chuckled when he recalled that event, when Sanzo had became more shocked than ever.

Actually, they were both ACCIDENTALLY fell into the river as Sanzo jerked back all of a sudden when he saw Goku hugged Izuko before, and he bumped onto Hakkai...

...And they fell into the water together! Huh...

"KONO KAPPA!!! SHII---NEEE!!!"

"ITAIIIII!!!!!!"

Goku and Izuko sweat dropped hearing Hakkai's explanation. Well, they didn't know Sanzo would be THAT 'mad', besides, he hated rivers, as far as they knew. They looked at each other, when then Goku stood up and took the stick from Izuko.

"Now, pay back time!!!"

"…Oh uh…"

Izuko ran away when that saru chased him round and round the campsite, trying to hit the girl's head. They acted as if nothing happened just then, but the elders knew well about it.

…ALL of it.

"Saa, our Goku's turning into a man already, ne?"

"…Ch, he's stupid, that's what I know."

"Anyway, were you two listening to them before?" Gojyo suddenly asked.

The other two death-stared at the kappa, and it sure made him sweat dropped even more. Sanzo's glare was deadly, but Hakkai's stare was more than that, deadliest!!

"…You ever tell those baka gakis about it or I'll…"

"…You mean, WE will, Sanzo."

"…FINE!! Just let me go already!! I can't breathe!! Arkkk…"

Sanzo retreated his strangle, and Hakkai moved to the fire and threw in some more firewood. They gawked at the two youngsters as they started to strangle each other on the ground, making such deafening noise.

"HANASE, BAKA SARU!!!"

"I'M NOT A SARU, KONO STUPID MOUNTAIN WITCH!!!"

…sweat dropped.

"Mountain-witch???" Gojyo almost choked as he was smoking and he coughed like crazy after that.

"…Hmm, that's a good name for that crazy onna."

Hakkai chuckled nervously as he realised those two had something in common after all. Besides, after hearing what Goku and Izuko just talked about before, made him more than satisfied.

'She's an itan, at last she admitted it! So, I was right about it…'

'Now, it's just that I'm confused.'

'What did she mean by…we'll cry over her death once we knew about her past?'

Hakkai turned to Sanzo, and was about to ask the question without the girl's awareness, and the bouzu could read his mind that he raised his newspaper and started reading.

"Don't ask, like hell I know about it."

"Demo…"

"OI!!!! Let go of me, kono baka saru!!"

Hakkai turned, and he found out that TWO itans were kicking him, and pulling all his hair out.

"You watch your mouth, baka kappa!! I have nothing to do with this saru, mind that in your baka hentai brains!!!"

"…That's rig…Wait, I'M NOT A SARU, BAKA MOUNTAIN WITCH!!"

"What did you say???"

"Huh…They started it again…"

…tsuzuku.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Kabuki and No - One of the famous Japanese plays. Quite interesting, but still, a bit boring if you're new with it.

Seiko: Okay, I'm done. Ja, that's that.

Hakkai: Eeee??? That's it? Talk something Seiko-chan!

Seiko: Say what?

Hakkai: At least, well, go and fight with Gojyo and Goku!

Seiko: Haa???

Hakkai: And hurry up, we're going to the clinic. Hayaku, hayaku!

Seiko: Why should I?? {locks door} {sings 'Unwanted' by Avril loudly!!} You don't know me, Don't ignore me, You don't want me there, You just shut me out... MAKE ME GO AWAYYY!!!! ARGHHHH!!!!!!

All: {sweat dropped}

Gojyo: ...She's...

Goku: ...more...

Hakkai: ...brutal...

Sanzo: ...than me.

Seiko: {sings 'A song for XX' by Ayumi} Itsu mo tsuyoi ko da nette iware tsudsukete'ta, nakanaide erai nette homeraretari shite ita yo, bla bla bla...!!!{cries}

All: ...

Goku: ...Let's...

Gojyo: ...Get...

Hakkai: ...out...

Sanzo: ...of here.

Seiko: Fine!! Get out of my house! Oh and it's TQ's time! (^--^)

**Shazaoblossom - **Gee, thanks for reading and reviewing! Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu! Say, and also thanks for mentioning about my mistakes in the previous chaps! I'll try and check those fics again if I have any free time later, ok? Oh, and about that committing suicide thing, I was an immature gaki after all, that's why... But not to worry, I won't kill myself just yet... but cutting myself, it's my routine! Shinpai shinaide, I'm used to it. Blood's everything to me! Hi-hi-hi-hi-hi...{grins devilishly} WEIRD me, ne? TQ too, for explaining to me about that raven thing, Thanks!!

**s****illycrazy** (I don't mean to call you this way, uuu...)- Woah, thank you, thank you, thank you for liking MS! I'm most glad! So, you're confused with the plots, ne? Don't worry, I'll try and make this story more simple, and easy to understand okay? Thank you again for your support!!

Goku: Did you just hear what I heard?

Others: Absolutely, yes.

Gojyo: Ch, you saved her before, baka bouzu!!

Sanzo: ...I don't care. I don't bother. Now urusai! Korosu!

Seiko: Okay then, see you in the next chap!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next chapter 

Saa, I have no idea whether to tell you about Izuko's past first, OR the ikkou's arrival at the village where that murderer was supposed to stay there before? If I publish the second one, then I'll tell you about Izuko's past in a 'flashback' form where she told Goku, alone, about it.

How? How? Do review, and tell me your choice!!

Not only that, please give me some ideas too. I'm not good at making romance touching scenes, and I bet the scene above was quite lame, isn't it? Oh great! Now I have to start reading romance books!! (^--^)

And gomen ne, for the grammatical errors and the spellings too. I am still sick right now, not knowing what to do, and I created this baka chapter with such a dizzy head. Huh… 

Oh, and don't you want to see Izuko's actual face? Do tell me if you want ok? I'll surely send them to you.

What else? Thanks for reading. **v(^O^)V = WOAH!!**

~~ja, see you in Chapter 8!!~~ 


End file.
